Demesne
by poxelda
Summary: Mac finds himself thrown into an international web of deceit and danger as the team has to fight to stop a new technology from being used to destroy the world. Warnings for Violence and Language. Rated T
1. Chapter 1

"Are you wearing that?" Bozer asked slowly walking around Mac. Mac's brow wrinkled as he looked at his room mate. He tightened his tie and looked down at the suit he wore.

"Yeah?"

"I think it looks nice." Riley offered from the recliner where she pulled out a fistfull of popcorn from a giant bowl resting on the table between her and Jack.

"Thank you, Riley."

"It's just, you start out wearing a suit, where'ya gonna go after that?" Jack said around a mouth of popcorn. Mac scowled at him amused.

"See, Jack knows what I'm talking about. This is only your third date, Mac…"

"Fifth." Mac said softly straightening his cuffs. Jack twisted to sitting.

"Five? You told me three."

"Me too." Bozer said crossing his arms. Mac opened his mouth looking at both of them then shook his head.

"Whatever, I gotta go." Mac growled as he stalked out the door. He shut it loudly, just shy of slamming it. Jack stood up and crossed to Bozer's side.

"This isn't good." Bozer said.

"No it isn't." Jack added both men stared at the door listening intently.

"Don't do it." Riley called. Both men turned with guilty looks.

"What?"

"We aren't doing anything." Riley laughed and stood up. She crossed to the window and peered out watching Mac climb into his Jeep. She grinned crossing to her other two teammates.

"So you aren't standing here waiting for Mac to leave so you can follow him and spy on him."

"I wouldn't say spy…" Bozer said in a drawn out aw-shucks tone.

"It's our jobs to keep him safe." Jack asserted.

"I can't believe you two." Riley said. All of them heard the Jeep roar into life and watched the headlights as Mac pulled away. Jack and Bozer hurried to their jackets. Jack paused grinning back at Riley.

"Coming?"

"Oh hell yeah!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Mac couldn't see the team following him and relaxed. He'd caught them a couple of times. He huffed in frustration. If his buddy's worried about their own love lives instead of his, there'd be a triple wedding someday. Mac found himself grinning without realizing it.

Hanika Namid. They had met when Mac had represented Phoenix at an international convention about green technologies. There had been an instant attraction that Mac hadn't felt since...Mac swallowed and glanced at his watch. He pushed the still open ache away. Zoe. Hanika had the same spirit, the same excitement and life in her eyes. Dark sapphire eyes that seemed to be worlds of their own. Her long neck and pale skin marred only by a light sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks made her look like a swan. And her long shining black mane...Mac shook his head and frowned. He rolled his eyes. He'd driven past the restaurant.

Mac went around the block. His eyes narrowed at a white minivan with tinted windows. As far as he could tell, it was empty. He had never seen it before, but wouldn't put it past his friends to rent a vehicle to spy on him. Mac gritted his teeth and pulled into the closest spot. He buttoned his suit jacket as he strode to the door. He was late. Mac hope he fell into the fashionably late category rather than annoyingly late. He paused at the door. The baked bread smell made his mouth water as he pushed through the glass doors of _Dans Vottre Attente_.

If he was being honest, Mac had to admit he wasn't a big fan of French cuisine. This was a new restaurant and looked it. The tasteful curtains in the window, the soft red carpet and modern black tables and chairs looked like they had come from the show room. The restaurant was quiet. Murmured conversations and clink of silverware on China barely covered the soft _Habanera_ a string quartet plaid from a raised dais in the center of the room.

Mac's heart skipped as his eyes darted across the room looking for his date. He let out a pent up breath when he saw her sitting in front of the largest window. She sipped wine and gazed out the window. She looked beautiful. She wore a dress the same color of her eyes. Her hair folded into a graceful twist on her shoulders. She looked like a work of classical art. Mac fought the urge to straighten his hair and forced himself not to run across the room.

He nodded and side stepped graceful waiters and well-dressed patrons. Hanika either sensed his presence or saw his reflexion in the window. She turned and stood in one fluid motion.

"Angus! You're here." Mac could only grin as he crossed to her and kissed her on the cheek. She smelled of flowers and mystery.

"I am sorry I'm so late." She laughed and sat as he held her chair and eased it forward. Mac slid into the seat opposite her and absently unfolded the napkin and laid it across his knee. "You look beautiful." She looked away her face pinkening.

"I am so glad you could come here on such short notice." She said leaning forward. Her smile always seemed sad to Mac. He felt every nerve scream with the need to help her.

"Of course, I thought you were flying back to Paris tonight."

"No, my plane got delayed. It's this project I'm working on…" Hanika looked away and paused. Mac reached out and grabbed her hands. He was surprised to feel how cold they were. Her eyes were distant and Mac swore he saw the glitter of suppressed tears.

"What is it?" Mac asked. He gazed into her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something. Mac could tell she wanted to ask for his help. She sighed and nodded. She sat back and loosed her hands from his.

"Hanika, what's wrong? Let me help you." Hanika smiled.

"You are very sweet, I'm sorry." Mac looked at her puzzled. She stood up, "I'll be back in a minute." Mac nodded and watched the tall woman glide to the back of the restaurant. Probably going to the restroom. Mac said leaning back. He frowned. Something didn't set well with him, but he didn't know what. He found his gaze automatically bouncing around the room. The hairs on the back of his neck were curling. He looked out the window. The reflection of Los Angeles in the calm water of the harbor was soothing as the quartet began the third movement of _The Ode to Joy._ Mac didn't see any suspicious movement out the window. No traffic moved on the frontage road and the freeway was too far for gunfire or accurate deployment of any kind of LAW.

Mac shooed the waiter away impatiently. He stood up. His heart pounded with a sense of wrongness. He took a step to follow Hanika.

"Sir, your date's purse?" The waiter asked. Mac took the blue sagging bag absently. He froze when he felt the heft. Mac's mouth went dry and his gut dropped. He leaned over the table and opened the purse. He leaned back his heart shattering into pieces. A thick square of plastic explosives with a timer ticking down was not what he'd wanted from his fifth date.

Mac leaned over and studied the bomb. It was complex, designed not to be disarmed by people like him. Mac shook his head. Three minutes. The room suddenly seemed overcrowded and noisy as he realized that this bomb would kill them all and there wasn't time to evacuate. Mac acted with thought. He lifted the closest chair turned and threw it through the window shattering it. He ignored the cries of protest and alarm. He grabbed the bag and held it close to his chest as he jumped onto the table and leapt out the broken glass. Sharp edges sliced his arms and side. In midair he curled into a ball and whumphed as he fell and rolled across ten feet of air then a sloping bank of gravel.

Mac groaned pushing to his feet. He slid to a stop at the edge of an empty parking lot. He ran across the parking lot forcing his long legs to pump as hard as they could. Mentally the seconds ticked by. Mac felt as if he was running underwater. He reached a dumpster enclosure made of brick. Through a solid wooden gate he could the dumpster was open. He knew there was no chance he could break through the lock and chains quick enough. He set himself and tossed the purse over the gate. He had a brief glance of it going into the dumpster then he turned and sprinted away as fast as he could.

His silent clock reached zero the same time as the bomb. Mac forced his body to relax as he was thrown through the air. He felt like he was soaring hundreds of feet although his brain automatically did the math and knew that was impossible. Everything was silent and slow as Mac covered his head with his arms. He had a quick moment to think "this is gonna suck." Before he hit. He slid across stone and tar, bounced through a deep wet pothole then was spinning end over end. Then he hit something hard. Mac rolled onto his back trying to make his chest work again. He saw the mushroom plume of fire then bricks, wood and twisted metal were showering down. Mac rolled onto his front and covered his head.

Mac must have blacked out because the next thing he knew, gentle familiar hands ran over his body checking for injuries. His ears were ringing. He had a pretty good idea what Jack would be saying to him even though he couldn't hear him. Everything was cloudy. He didn't know if it was because of his eyes or smoke. Jack gently rolled him over. Mac moaned as the pain hit. He closed his eyes and took stock. His head had more lumps than a bag of rocks; his lungs were finally remembering their natural rhythm. Mac could feel his suit soaking with blood.

Mac opened his eyes with Jack's gentle pat on his cheek. Mac blinked slowly. He hadn't realized they had closed. Jack looked worried and his lips moved but Mac only heard a high buzzing. Jack turned to talk to someone over his shoulder. Mac followed his gaze surprised. Riley knelt beside them pulling out bandages from a first aid kit. Bozer was pacing behind her talking on the phone. Mac frowned. Bozer was plugging his other ear as if it were too loud to hear.

Mac moved to sit up. Jack's meaty hand pushed in the middle of his chest. Mac flopped back wincing as his head again hit the pavement. He closed his eyes against the sparks firing across the sky. Jack mauled his head pinching and probing every inch. Mac hissed and grabbed Jack's denim jacket as the sparks became bonfires of pain.

Mac's breath hitched. He could feel himself cry out when Jack hit a moist bump on the lower back of his skull. Mac only heard it as a muffled moan. Mac's eyes closed and he felt his body becoming heavy. A far away voice must have been shouting to be heard.

"Damnit, Mac. Open those baby blues." Mac's head drifted to the side as his body relaxed. He could feel Riley taking his hand and could hear the garble of her voice. She was worried. Mac moaned and forced his eyes opened. He winced in pain as strobes of red and blue blazed deep into his cranium leaving smoking agony in their wake. Mac again tried sitting. Jack put his hand in the center of Mac's chest again, but he didn't have to push. Mac had all the strength and coordination of a suffocating fish.

Mac's eyes sank closed. He was dimly aware of frantic movement around him. He felt someone open his shirt, the cold circles of a monitor, oxygen mask. Mac took a deep breath. The humming voices around him sounded like a distant ocean. Mac felt his body sink under its black waves.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack braced his knees to keep from falling over in the ambulance. He shot the back of the paramedic's head a glare when he saw Mac's body tighten and flinch with pain. He knew ambulances were not built for comfort, but he was beginning to wonder if the driver wasn't deliberately aiming for every dip and pothole on the road.

The other paramedic glanced at Jack out of the corner of his eyes several times. He was hunched and obviously afraid of the Delta. Jack narrowed his eyes at the man who shrank back and took too long to take Mac's blood pressure.

Jack's attention returned to Mac as the kid squirmed. Jack gritted his teeth.

"Move back, unless you wanna get popped." Jack said. The paramedic's eyes were wide with terror as he scurried to the other corner of the ambulance. Jack rolled his eyes. What the hell had they told this poor kid about him? Jack was fine with most of the people at Phoenix thinking he was a badass, and a few being afraid of him proved useful, but Jeez, this kid was going to wet himself and all Jack did was insist on riding with Mac. He hadn't even threatened the kid, much.

"Hey, brother." Jack said louder than he normally would have. He knew Mac's hearing had been affected. He hoped it wasn't permanent. All the explosions they had been around it was a miracle they weren't deaf already. Mac's eyes sprang open and he flailed to sitting. Jack ducked an elbow as Mac fought to get free of the strap holding him to the gurney. He put a hand on Mac's shoulder ready to duck. Mac turned to him with wild eyes.

"Mac, you're ok…" Jack began. Mac reached up and yanked the oxygen and heart monitor leads off. He scrambled at the belt holding him down. Jack leaned forward and captured his partner's hands.

"Mac, Mac, C'mon…" Mac looked up and grabbed Jack's jacket shoulder his fingers digging painfully into the older man's shoulder. Jack grimaced but didn't shrug the grip away.

"Hanika! She's in trouble, Jack! We have to go back and find her!" Jack put his hands on both of Mac's shoulders. He winced a the blood seeping through bandages covering the deeper slices in the kid's arms. Mac felt cool to the touch and was trembling. Jack grabbed the blanket Mac had tossed aside and wrapped it around the kid's shoulders.

"Mac, calm down." Jack tried. Mac blinked at him then turned back feverishly trying to open the buckle on the belt across his waist.

"I knew something was wrong...the bomb...she was grabbed, I know it!" Jack shook Mac's shoulders, stopping the blonde from his panicked need to escape. Jack did not like how fast the kid's breathing was getting.

"Stop it!" Jack snapped. Mac paused a long minute then dropped his hands from the belt. Jack frowned. A look of emotional torment seeped into Mac's eyes, "Mac, use your words, kiddo. What's going on?" Mac leaned his head forward and cradled it in his hands.

"The bomb." Mac moaned gingerly feeling the back of his head. Jack reached up and caught Mac's hand. He winced at how cold the kid was. Jack pulled the blanket tighter around Mac's shoulders. Mac offered a weak smile then slumped back closing his eyes.

"Mac?" Mac frowned then looked up at Jack.

"You followed me, didn't you?" Jack looked back at the petrified paramedic not wanting to meet his partner's eyes. He turned back when Mac burst out laughing. Jack wondered if Mac had been hit harder than he first thought. Mac shook his head wincing. He stared up at the ambulance ceiling.

"I'm not surprised, but all of you. Seriously? I'm surprised Matty and Cage weren't with you." Mac gave Jack a wry half smile. Jack shrugged.

"They had plans." Mac's face grew somber.

"Well, for once, and only this one time, I am glad you did." Mac's voice was low and sad. Jack leaned forward.

"So what happened? We were cruising the block in the Shelby looking for a place to park…"

"Spy."

"Whatever, when there was this huge explosion. I knew it had to be you. What happened?" Mac shrugged and itched his neck.

"Well either someone threatened and kidnapped my date or my date tried to kill me with an explosive." Jack's eyes widened. Mac began to laugh again. This time there was a hysterical note Jack didn't like. He reached out and took his partner's hand trying to bring the kid back to something solid.

"We'll figure it out, kiddo." He said softly. Mac looked at him, his face turning hard and bitter.

"You're damn right we will." Mac growled. Jack frowned unable to tell what emotions were running through the younger man. Did he feel guilty? Angry? Did Mac even know how he felt? Jack opened his mouth to ask what was going on in the kid's beautiful mind, when the ambulance stopped in front of Phoenix's underground emergency bay. Mac shoved aside the blanket and unclicked the belt around his waist.

"Hold on now!" Jack said. The paramedic fled out the back doors. Jack grabbed Mac's arm. Mac shook the older man's grip off without turning. Jack muttered under his breath as he was forced to follow Mac out the back double doors.

Mac jumped down the four feet to the ground and winced. He held onto the door threshold waiting for everything to settle. He hurt everywhere and everything seemed to have a shaky double edge. Mac gritted his teeth. The worst was his hearing had returned with a painful vengeance. Every sound felt like a bullhorn screaming in his ear. Probably blew both ear drums. Mac sighed. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Mac, c'mon. What the hell do you think you're doing?" Mac ignored Jack and pushed away heading for the glass doors that lead into Phoenix. He was aware of people moving around him. He recognized Doc Carl, Laura and that new doctor...Izzy something. He pushed them aside ducking and weaving through their hands. He had better things to do than go to medical to be poked and prodded for no reason. He had to find Hanika, find out…

Mac froze in his step as he was blocked by the formidable face of Matty. Mac briefly thought about shoving his way around the diminutive woman. He sighed and his shoulders slumped. He might just as well think he could fly over Mt. Everest by flapping his arms.

"Where do you think you're going, blondie?" Mac crossed his arms and did nothing to hide his anger and frustration. Belatedly he realized he probably wasn't going to impress her being shirtless with torn pants and bloody bandages covering most of his arms. Not that he normally impressed her anyway. Mac sighed.

"I'm fine. I have to find Hanika she could be in trouble."

"Or she could have tried to blow you up." Mac's jaw clenched. It hadn't occurred to him that Jack would have been on coms. He didn't know why but that idea made him more angry than the fact the entire team had trailed him on his date.

"I still have to find her." Mac's voice was flat. Matty didn't like the shifting of emotion in the kid's face. She'd seen Mac hurt physically and mentally. She's seen him terrified for others. She had no idea what she was seeing now. Matty narrowed her eyes.

"Fine, get checked out then come down to the war room. We'll see what we can figure out." Mac blinked at his boss surprised then offered a small smile. Matty nodded and waved at the others. Mac turned and stalked into the ER Jack and the medical crew hot on his heels.

Jack studied his partner. Mac was almost vibrating on the examination table. He swung his feet and squirmed glancing at his watch about every 20 seconds.

"This is ridiculous!" Mac growled hopping down to his feet. Jack stepped in his way and put a hand on Mac's fish belly white chest. The number of deepening red splotches did not go unnoticed. Mac was going to be a walking bruise.

"Jack, get out of my way." Mac's voice was exasperated instead of angry. He moved to the side and looked up at the ceiling huffing in frustration when Jack moved with him.

"Just settle down there a minute, bud. Izzy will be back with those x ray results in a little while." Mac shook his head and itched at a fresh dressing put on one of the longer gashes in his side. It probably needed stitches but he argued until Izzy finally gave in and steri-stripped it. Mac began to pace hitting the blue cushion as he walked.

"Look, Mac, I know you're hurting…" Mac rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine just bumps and bruises."

"And two busted eardrums. I know your head is ringling like the dinner bell and this, Henrietta tries to blow you up."

"Hanika, Hanika Namid as I have told you seventeen times in the last hour." Mac ground his teeth together. He was pretty sure the older man was trying to get him riled and it irritated him.

"Fine, this HANIKA tried to kill you…"

"We don't know that." Jack frowned. Mac had that odd tone in his voice again. It had a flatness Jack didn't like. He honestly had no idea if his partner was angry, sad, upset or all of the above. Jack didn't like knowing what was going on in Mac's skull. He decided to take things up a notch. He grabbed Mac's arm and spun the kid to face him. Jack hissed in surprise as he found himself holding Mac upright.

The kid looked green and swayed reaching out to grab Jack's jacket for support. Jack managed to scoop up the garbage can as Mac leaned forward retching up the last six months of meals. Mac held onto the bed trying to stop the world from spinnling. Black spots bobbed across his vision. When he finished puking, Mac closed his eyes and allowed Jack to help him lie down on his side. Mac put a palm across his head surprised to find it slick with sweat and cold.

"Mac?" Jack asked setting the trash can aside. Mac closed his eyes but the world continued to spin, "Hey, brother, what's going on?" Mac felt the older man's warm hand rest on his chest.

"Dizzy." Mac managed to mumble.

"Shock or concussion?" Mac moaned as his gut threatened to spasm again.

"Neither." Mac murmured. He felt like an ax was slicing into the back of his neck near the bottom of his skull.

"Talk to me, brother." Jack pleaded.

"My neck hurts and I feel dizzy."

"And?"

"And what?" Before Jack could answer the curtain was pulled back with a rusty squeal. Mac groaned the noise joining the fog horn screaming in his ears. It took him a long minute to pull voices out of the noise pulsing in his ears.

"I don't know, he just started puking and says everything is spinning."

"I'm not surprised." Izzy said. Mac lowered his arm and squinted up at her. She smiled down at him and placed her soft hand on his forehead, "You have some swelling between your cerebellum and medulla oblongata." Mac closed his eyes deciding spinning was better than doubles of everything circling.

"What does that mean?" Jack demanded. His ire had no effect on the calm older woman. She was always calm like a still pond.

"It means he's going to feel dizzy and sick." Jack rolled his eyes.

"And?"

"Mac, I'll give you a dramamine patch, but if you start getting confused or you feel your heart flutter, come back immediately, ok?"

"Yes." Mac said.

"I'll make sure of it." Jack said patting Mac's shoulder. Mac growled, but didn't want to risk opening his eyes. The dramamine took half an hour to take effect. Mac yawned feeling drowsy. He gratefully accepted the clothes Jack retrieved from his locker and took a shower. Mac bit his tongue to keep from yelling as the water seemed to pound into the bumps on his head like a sledgehammer. He blinked. The heat took away some of the soreness, but the motion sickness medicine made him feel foggy and slow. Mac sighed. He'd rather be sleepy than dizzy he decided. He left the shower and removed the plastic taped over his bandages wincing at slices of hide that went with the tape. He dressed wincing as every ache and pain assured him they hadn't gone anywhere. Mac sat on the toilet and put on his boots. He paused catching his breath.

Henrika. Where was she? Was she ok? Did she really try to kill him? Oddly, Mac didn't feel betrayed. He was worried for her safety but took her betrayal as a matter of course. No matter what he told the others, he had to admit it was unlikely she had been taken by force, but Mac knew there were many kinds of force. Was she threatened? Mac swallowed and bit back the obvious. Was she an assassin? Why did she want him dead? And why a bomb? Could Mac really have been so unaware, again?

Mac sighed and walked back to his curtained cubicle. Jack was the obvious relief on his partner's face, Mac couldn't help but smile. He had no doubt Jack was going to give him another five minutes before running into the shower and dragging him out convinced he was on the verge of dying.

"Matty call yet?" Mac asked shoving the remnants of his suit and dress shoes into his duffle.

"Just a minute ago, she said they found something you needed to know." Mac nodded.

"Ok." Jack followed Mac his brow wrinkled. Mac was too calm, too...something. And Jack didn't like it one bit.


	3. Chapter 3

Mac leaned against the back of the elevator rubbing his ear with his finger. He shook his head. The damn ringing was now in stereo. At least the dizziness, nausea and blurriness was gone. Mac looked up surprised when the elevator suddenly stopped. Jack stood in front of him with arms crossed. Mac frowned. The Delta looked pissed.

"Are you ok, Jack?" He asked worried. Jack narrowed his eyes studying him closely.

"Are you?" Mac straightened.

"What are you talking about, I'm fine." Jack shook his head and gritted his teeth.

"Look, bud. You're off balance. When you woke up you were freaking out because Henr-"  
"Hanika." Mac said crossing his own arms. His voice was taut with repressed frustration. Jack paused and let out a deep breath forcing his worry back a notch.

"Look, what I'm saying is, if we are going after her you have to be prepared for-" Mac stepped forward his hands balled into fists. His face reddened and his voice increased in volume.

"Prepared for what? Betrayal? Being on the hit list of someone I dated?" Mac's voice caught, "Letting someone who needed my help die?" Jack took a step back. Mac's eyes glittered with tears, "Don't worry, Jack. I'm pretty sure I know how to do all that on my own. Good talk." Mac turned toward the door and slammed his hand against the button. The elevator descended with an awkward heaviness in the air between them. Jack rubbed his eyes.

"Mac, look I'm just worried, brother." Mac didn't answer but Jack saw some of the stiffness leave his spine. When the doors opened, Mac paused.

"Me too." He said softly over his shoulder. Jack watched his brother walk down the hall and wanted to seriously punch something.

Cage sat on the couch still wearing flannel pajamas. Mac smiled. She glared at him.

"Not one word." She growled. Mac shrugged.

"Where's Jack?" Riley asked.

"Right behind me." The others all exchanged a worried look at the angry dismissal in Mac's voice. He turned to Matty.

"What did you find?" He met Matty's measuring gaze with a calm facade, but Matty could see the hurricane under the surface. Mac's eyes turned cold, "We are on a clock, Matty." Matty blinked in surprise. She expected that back talk from Jack, but Mac was always the calm sensible one. Matty looked up as Jack strode in the room. Jack shot a look at Bozer and Riley. Matty could feel his worry from across the room. She met his eyes and he swallowed nodding. Matty turned to the big screen. The quicker they found out what this girl wanted with Mac the better it'll be for all of them.

"Riley?" Riley nodded. She put up a picture of Hanika Namid. Mac couldn't cover the soft hitch in his breath when her startling blue eyes filled the screen in front of him. Riley continued her dark eyes soft with sympathy.

"I couldn't find anything about her before three years ago."

"What?" Jack stepped beside Mac protectiveness sharpening his voice, "That was when you met her at that energy conference wasn't it?" Mac didn't answer his partner. Jack turned to Matty who looked more than a little pissed herself.

"You think she was a trap just for Mac?" Bozer asked looking at his friend his heart aching. How many times does the universe have to fuck with Mac? There was a painful pause, everyone waiting for Mac to speak, or move. He stood completely still as if frozen in ice.

"Mac, you ok, brother?" Jack said putting a hand on the kid's shoulder. Mac didn't notice. Cage walked closer frowning.

"Mac? What are you thinking?" Mac blinked and shook his head.

"No, it's impossible." He said.

"Look, Mac, I know it's hard to understand…" Matty began. Mac straightened and made a cutting motion with his hand.

"No, I mean it's not possible. She is an astrophysicist with a concentration in astronomy and particle physics. You don't just wake up one day and step into that role. She had to have studied somewhere."

"That's a good point." Bozer agreed. Riley nodded and tapped on her laptop. She looked up.

"I don't know how, Mac, but I can't find her in any education or science database."

"How did she get into that shindig you went to?" Jack asked. Everyone looked at him surprised, "I mean they only open the doors to the best, right?" Mac offered a half smile then turned to Riley.

"Jack has a point. It was a closed conference. Only a hundred scientists from around the world were invited."

"Who put this 'shindig' on?" Jack grinned at Matty. Matty rolled her eyes.

"It was a private research consortium." Mac said rubbing his neck and wincing.

"What's that?"

"In France, there's a privately owned castle. The conference was held there. It had an amazing observatory!" Mac's voice bobbed with some of his usual enthusiasm. It did more to reassure his teammates than anything else.

"Where is it?" Riley asked leaning over her laptop. Mac shrugged.

"I have no idea."

"What?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you hit your head harder than we thought?" Mac held up a hand in surrender as their voices rang through his head. He winced as the ringing in his ears grew louder. They all backed off worried. Mac cleared his throat.

"No, when we arrived at Charles de Gaulle we were met by security personnel and taken to a bus that was completely blacked out. None of us ever saw the route, just the-" Mac stopped speaking his mouth hanging open a minute.

"Mac? Bud?" Mac raised his hands to his face as if his head was exploding.

"Black out, Riley look for a blacked out white van."

"A what now?" Mac forced himself to stop and use his words.

"I got to the restaurant late so I drove around the block…"

"Yeah, we know." Mac shot Matty a dark look.

"As I was pulling in, there was a white minivan. All the windows were dark tinted."

"And you think this is related to your girlfriend?" Matty asked. Mac stood up surprised, his face emptying of all emotion.

"She isn't my girlfriend." Mac said in a flat voice. Matty looked like she wanted to apologize.

"If she went through all this to kill you, that's a good thing." Bozer offered. Mac didn't answer.

"Here it is." Riley pushed more buttons, "This is from an ATM across the street."

"Can you clean that up?"

"No that's the best I can do." It was enough. Mac felt as if the pulse in his neck didn't have any blood. He felt lightheaded. Everything slowed down. He felt as if the world around him was a pixelated mess caused by bad buffering. It was Hanika. He recognized her long neck, the flow of her blue dress, her mane of hair flowing free as she pulled it out of its curl. She ran across the street. The side door of the van opened. She hopped inside and the van revved away. Mac's lungs wheezed empty like broken bagpipes. Now he knew. Mac's shoulders slumped. In a way he was relieved. No one got hurt and she was only after him.

"...me?" Mac blinked surprised. Jack held him by both shoulders and was gently shaking him. Jack's head was ducked so he could look directly into Mac's face. Mac tried to say something, but everything had frozen. He was just too...he had no idea what. He could feel Jack's grip dig in as if the older man was holding him from falling off a cliff. Mac's head bowed forward and he put a hand over Jack's to let him know he heard him. Mac cleared his throat and forced his body to move. He let out a deep breath.

"Anything on the van, Riley?" Mac's voice was barely a whisper.

"I lost it on the 405. I did find a police report. They found a torched minivan down in skid row."

"Great way to lose evidence." Bozer said.

"Guys, this is an elaborate plan to get to Mac. Why not just shoot him?" Cage said. Everyone stared at her. She offered a small smile at Mac, "Sorry, no offense."

"She's right." Matty said. She looked at Mac. Mac was pale and looked like he could sleep a year through, but he was keeping it together, "Mac, what was this castle place doing?"

"Demesne." Mac muttered absently.

"De mane?" Jack asked, "What the hell is that?" The corners of Mac's mouth quirked into a half smile.

"Demesne, it's from Old French, it was the land that a lord had control over and the right to possess. Farms that were close to a castle that were worked by vassals and serfs."

"Yeah, okay. And what does it mean here?" Jack said.

"That was the name of the scientific conglomerate."

"In a castle. Fine, so who was the Lord of the manor?" Mac frowned.

"I don't know. I only met other scientists who were working on similar projects. I was working on a way of synthesizing a continuously charging battery from solar power to put in Sparky."

"Is that all." Bozer chuckled. Mac shot him a sideways smile.

"What was Henrietta working on?"

"Jack, it's Henika. Henika Nemid." Mac said through gritted teeth. Jack slapped him on the back.

"Sorry, kiddo, keep forgetting."

"Dementia aside," Jack shot Matty a dirty look. He was testing to see how Mac was doing. She smiled and batted her eyes at him, "what was Hanika working on?" Mac rubbed his hands over his face. He closed his eyes for a second, then spoke without opening them. It looked like Mac was reading the answer off the inside of his eye lids.

"She was trying to make a Solar Sluice." Mac opened his eyes and found five sets of eyes staring at him and waiting with impatience, "The sun is a big ball of hydrogen explosions billions of times bigger than Hiroshima, yeah?" Everyone nodded. Mac began to pace moving his hands as he tried to simplify the concepts running through his head.

"Whenever atoms split in a nuclear explosion particles are released. Many of these are highly energized and have increased magnetism. The constant flow of these from the sun acts like a current."  
"Solarwinds!" Bozer yelled. Mac nodded and pointed at his roomie. Bozer straightened and jutted his chin out.

"Suck up." Riley whispered.

"Sunspots occur when the density and magnetism builds up until it flares out. When the sun has a solar flare heavily magnetic particles are flung outwards. When they hit the earth's atmosphere they create geomagnetic storms." Mac noticed everyone was looking at him with blank faces.

"Ok, look you've heard about EMPs right?"

"Yeah?"

"A geomagnetic storm is like a giant EMP wave sweeping through whatever part of the earth it hits. In 1859 there was a geomagnetic storm powerful enough to knock out telegraphs and anything electrical from Australia to Alaska. Aurora lights were seen in mid-day around the world. It took weeks to make everything work again." Mac paused. There was a heavy silence.

"So what were you going to do with that?" Bozer asked.

"This idea was to come up with a way to collect these particles and redirect them away from the earth so another storm like that doesn't cripple our electrical infrastructure again."

"That would kill a lot of people." Jack said, "Planes, lights, computers, hospitals...the panic would be...really bad."

"And that could really happen today?" Riley asked her eyes wide.

Mac nodded.

"It happens more often than you think, just not on the scale as 1859."

"So what did this sluice do?" Matty asked.

"Theoretically, it could sift out the most magnetic particles and collect them into a form of energy that could be used for something more helpful."

"So how theoretical are we talking, bro?" Mac shrugged and itched his ear. He wished the damn ringing would go away. It was like having a hand full of crickets living on your shoulders.

"I consulted on the actual mechanism they were designing. Hanika was on my team. All of her research had been on Solar Flares and particle eruptions." Mac's voice trailed off. He kicked at the tile absently, "at least that's what she told me; she knew her stuff."

"If they wanted you to build this thing, why would they try to kill you?" Bozer asked.

"And why use a woman to get to you?" Mac looked up at Cage his face pink, "No, that's not what I meant. I mean there's a lot of chance involved-would you remember her? How could they explain why she was here?"

"Cage is right, there is a lot more to this than some space sling."

"Sluice."

"Whatever, blondie. We need to find that castle, Riley you and Bozer do that. Cage you troll through everything we know about Hanika for the years she is in the system, maybe something will stand out." The three teammates nodded. Matty looked at Mac and her face softened.

"Jack, you take Mac home before he faceplants." Mac opened his mouth to complain then sighed and nodded. He turned and shuffled out of the war room. Jack and Matty exchanged worried looks.

"Keep him safe, Jack." Matty said. Jack knew she meant from more than the people trying to kill the kid. Jack offered her a cocky grin.

"That's my jam, boss."


	4. Chapter 4

Mac leaned his head against the window breathing in the silence of the car. The back of his neck throbbed. His ears buzzed as if bees were trying to escape from his brain. His other aches and pains have dimmed to background noise blurred by tiredness. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He felt Jack's eyes on him. He turned to face his partner.

"What?"

"You look pretty happy for a guy whose date tried to blow him up." Jack said. Mac snorted.

"Actually I'm good. Sore and my ears are ringing, but I'm good. I only dated her five times." Jack nodded. Mac knew the older man was trying some way to ask him something he knew Mac didn't want to talk about. Mac opened his mouth to cut Jack off when he saw a minivan revving up on them. He sat up, "Jack!" Jack looked in the rear view mirror and stomped the gas. This late at night there was thick traffic but not the solid gridlock seen earlier in the evening.

"Guess they didn't torch the car after all." Jack called as he swung between two cars then revved across three lanes. Mac closed his eyes bracing himself with hand against the dashboard with his right hand while he was trying to pull out his phone with his left.

"No kidding." He yelled over the throaty growl of the GTO engine. Mac whoomphed as Jack slammed on his brakes, down shifted then reved forward. The car skidded into an arc settling the way they'd come, "JACK! What the hell are you doing!" Jack grinned over at him and swerved crazily around oncoming traffic. Mac's heart thumped faster than the pistons on the motor. He closed his eyes. The headlights coming at them sliced through his skull. His stomach churned.

"Mac?" Mac focused on the phone.

"Matty, we have a situation…" Mac was jerked toward the door as Jack skidded off the road and sped down a double laned exit.

"Mac?"

"The white van is following us...Jack is…" Mac jumped as the glass beside him shattered. Mac cried out and dropped the phone turning away, his face cut.

"Mac, you ok?" Jack said alarmed. Mac patted the carpet for the phone.

"Yeah..got it! Matty?"

"Mac, was that a gun?" Mac glanced out and saw multiple barrels aimed at him from the side door of the van, "More than one! Jack, down!" Mac jumped to his side landing in the foot well. Mac reached up and yanked Jack down over him.

"Mac, I'm driving!" Jack blurted as he was pulled from the driver's seat. Bullets chewed a path across the leather seats where they had been sitting. Stuffing flew in the air adding to the glass and metal raining down on them.

"Never mind, I'm good." Jack bellowed leaning his body over Mac's. The rattle of gunfire was deafening and painful. Mac cried out and covered his ears. The top of the car was vaporized.

"Hold on!" Jack screamed feeling the GTO veer off course. A second later the GTO slammed into something and they were airborne twisting. Both men cried out in pain as they rolled over and over down an incline. Mac lost his phone. He clung to Jack's jacket as they rolled. They slammed into something metal that crunched. Their car bounced off at a right angle. Then they were free falling. Both men held onto each other screaming braced for impact. Mac was aware of a solid hit throughout his body then everything disappeared.

Jack moaned and shook his head. Glass rattled off his head. It took him a minute to realize they weren't moving. He mentally scanned himself and was elated to find everything was still attached and working. Good enough. He pushed up to the seat wincing as the broken glass and debris dug into his palms. He peeked over the open windows and blinked in surprise. They had landed in the middle of a dirt parking lot. Above them up a straight incline he could see a mangled guardrail. He could also make out the silhouette of a van and soldiers bristling with weapons putting on TAC gear.

"Shit." Jack muttered. By the distant street lights Jack saw they were in a construction site. Could be worse. He looked at the distance between him and the encroaching bad guys. There was time, but not much. He turned back to Mac. Mac was out. He had blood running out his nose and ears. Jack felt his heart triphammer. He breathed out in relief, Mac's pulse was strong and even. He checked over his partner's body. No more bumps or bruises than he'd had getting into the car.

"Ok, brother. Let's get the hell outta here." Jack groaned. His door was dented in. Jack shinnied out of it and staggered against the side of his GTO a second to catch his breath. He could see the guys above him organizing rappelling gear. Shit. He ran around to Mac's door. He paused a long second. It had more holes than a strainer. Jack yanked at it desperately. He grunted in surprise when the metal gave and he was flung back on his ass. He hopped up and kept pulling until he had a jagged path big enough to drag Mac out. Jack winced at the cuts on his hand. Thankfully the metal wasn't rusty. There hadn't been a spot of rust on the GTO. Jack growled as he hauled Mac up by his armpits. These guys so were going to pay for every hole in this car. Jack paused long enough to grab Mac's phone then ducked under Mac standing with the kid folded over his right shoulder. Jack snugged him into a better position then took off as fast as he could for the cement skeleton surrounded by construction equipment.

The building looked like it would be a strip mall when it was done. The bottom floor was framed and had tarps covering the windows. Jack ducked pipes, chains and wood balanced over his head then shoved his way through a window. He paused huffing in air. It took a minute for his eyes to get use to the dark interior. Sweat ran down his face and back. He saw a manual cage raiser at the far end of the open space. Jack ran over to it but had to slow when he slipped on rolled up insulation and bashed Mac's leg into the corner of a stack of plywood.

"Sorry, bud." Jack whispered as he panted. He pulled up the double cage and gently laid Mac against the corner. He paused checking the kid's pulse. It was still regular and strong. Why wasn't he waking up? Jack heard voices coming near. He stood and pulled on the pulley chain raising them up two levels to a half-finished roof. He dragged Mac out then shimmies up the pole to the pulley above their heads. Jack grunted as he twisted the cotter pins and pulled the bolt. The pulley released and fell taking the cart with it. Jack watched it fall and took deep breaths. He climbed down the metal pole and stepped over to Mac.

Their attackers would eventually climb up, but he'd bought some time. Jack knelt beside Mac. He gently patted Mac's face.

"C'mon brother, wake up for me, ok? We really need that brain of yours right now." Mac's eyes rolled under their lids and he let out a soft gasp, "That's it, kiddo. C'mon." Mac's eyes snapped open and his body tightened for an attack. Jack easily caught the first right cross but missed the left upper cut.

"Ow, damnit Mac!" Jack grabbed Mac's arms and shook the kid. Mac froze his eyes roaming their surroundings.

"Jack?"

"Yeah, damn man, that hurt." Jack let go of Mac's arms and sank onto his hip rubbing at his jaw. Mac stared at him a long minute before laying his head back and moaning.

"We're screwed aren't we." Mac muttered.

"No more than usual."

"That bad? Crap."

"At least there's no Sarlacc pit, c'mon buddy they aren't going to stay downstairs forever. I got your phone but it's smashed." Mac nodded and pushed himself up on shaking arms. Jack helped him up. Mac looked an unhealthy grey-green. Jack kept a hand on his shoulder and waited taking a step back, "You gonna barf?" Mac bent over and leaned on his knees.

"Don' think so, just dizzy."

"Oh, that's ok, c'mon partner." Mac shot Jack a dark look before allowing the older man to sling his arm across his shoulders. Mac closed his eyes and swallowed back the bile burning the back of his throat. Jack half-dragged Mac to the other side of the open floor. Below them, they could hear voices low enough the pair couldn't make out what they were saying.

"They sound pissed." Mac said.

"No Shit." Jack panted with effort. They managed to avoid the piles of building materials to reach a four foot tall finished corner. Mac staggered against the bricks as Jack slowed his motion. Mac leaned against the brick and held his head in his hands letting out a soft groan. Jack crouched beside him and pulled his Baretta.

"You ok, bud?"

"Dandy. Where are they?" Jack sighed.

"I don't know, they're quiet. I have no idea how they can see down there."

"Probably NVG's...night vision goggles." Mac sat up his eyes roving from side to side as his brain fired off and clarified the idea burning through his head.

"I know what that means, bro. What's the plan?"

"Give me my phone." Jack handed it over chuckling.

"At least it's not mine for a change. Was my car though." Jack glared at the dimly lit expanse of the roof.

"Hmm-humm." Mac absently murmured. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Once, Mac, just once would it kill you to sympathise with my loss of personal property."

"Hmmm? Yeah. Ok, I need some of that fiberglass over there and some of that sawdust." Jack sighed and did Mac's bidding.

Mac blinked trying to stop the screws to the back of his phone from swimming away. His head throbbed with the effort of staying focused. He jumped when Jack put a hand on his shoulder. Mac squinted at his friend. He couldn't see Jack's face except twin shining points aimed at him like bullets.

"Thanks." Mac muttered. He cried out and leaned forward seeing stars when Jack felt the need to dig at the sorest spot on his skull. Mac dropped everything turned to the side and lost the battle against nausea.

"Shit! Sorry, kiddo. My bad, I was worried the swelling was getting worse…" Jack's voice disappeared behind a thick curtain of buzzing. Mac spit and closed his eyes leaning back.

"Thanks, Jack." He husked sarcastically. When the world stopped whirling, Mac bent over the project returning to work. He couldn't hear anything over the insect chirping in his ears. Jack crouched easy beside him, so Mac didn't worry. Finally he held up a bundle to Jack.

"Touch these two wires and throw it downstairs. The middle of the building would be good." Jack nodded and looked at Mac a long minute. Mac managed half a smile.

"I'll have a way out by the time you get back." Jack shook his head but trusted Mac. Jack floated into the dim light then touched the two wires. Jack dropped the bundle. The brightest light from the phone's flashlight flared brightly followed by a flash then boom. Jack turned away at an explosion of bright light. He heard screaming downstairs and the voices got louder.

"Yes!" He ran back to Mac cursing as he stumbled over copper piping. Mac wasn't where he left him, "Dammit! Mac?" Jack hissed. The voices downstairs didn't try to hide anymore. A loud roar followed by the chugging of an engine deafened Jack. He put a finger in his left ear and looked over his shoulder.

The lights on the crane blazed. Jack blinked for a second as blinded as the guys downstairs.

"Jack!" Mac called. Jack turned to his partner's voice. It sounded strained. Jack turned and followed Mac's voice. His heart froze. Mac stood half crouched leaning off the edge of the building.

"Mac!" Panic made his voice loud. He scrambled behind his friend and grabbed Mac by the belt. Mac looked up at him surprised.

"Jack, jump."

"What?" Mac almost rolled his eyes but realized how much that would suck.

"The slide, Jack. Jump in the slide." Mac crept back with Jack's help. Jack looked down and grinned. A wide orange canvas tube hung attached to the roof by strips of Mac's shirt. The other end dangled onto the parking lot beside a full-sized construction dumpster. Mac sat back on his haunches rubbing his forehead.

"You first, kiddo." Jack muttered. Mac opened his mouth to complain, but the crane on the other side of the building swayed to the roof with six men in full tac gear hanging from it's chain. Mac sighed stood at the edge of the building then jumped. He held his hands and legs in close as he slid through the tube. He heard Jack sliding behind him. They were halfway down when the ties broke.

"Mac!" Jack yelled as they fell to land on hard concrete. Mac cried out and white flares burned through his entire nerve system. The tube collapsed on them. Mac felt like he was being swallowed by a giant throat. He heard boots at his ear then the canvas all around him moved. Mac was tipped end over end then sprawled painfully face first on gravel and tar. He moaned and curled up in pain. He could hear Jack doing the same beside him. All around them came the loud snap of weapons cocked in a circle. Mac opened his eyes. The black clad figures around them spun like a zoetrope.

"Well that didn't work." Jack muttered dryly, "You know I hate to kick a guy when he's down, brother, but you really need to never date again." Mac snorted once then raised his hands.

"You aren't wrong." He sighed.


	5. Chapter 5

The TAC soldiers shoved Mac and Jack to their knees. Jack leaned an arm over to steady Mac. For his part, Mac closed his eyes and tried to swallow the nausea. It occurred to him he may have lost the motion sickness patch.

"Mac?" Jack whispered. He looked up as a dark clad figure stepped closer raising his weapon to smash it into Jack's head. Jack shot him a cold smile and braced himself. He took his arm away from Mac. Mac promptly fell forward groaning. The rifle reached the peak of its back swing when a voice froze it in place.

"Don't." Jack frowned and glanced at Mac. Mac pushed himself to kneeling. Jack felt his stomach drop at the look of surprise and pain on his face. So this was Henrietta, or whatever. Jack glared at the woman as she stepped closer. He could hear Mac's breathing hitch, his spine stiffen and his shoulders slump. Mac hadn't wanted to admit it, but Jack knew he had been right. Mac still had a thing for the woman even after she tried to kill him.

Mac pushed himself up from the spinning gravel under his nose. His heart bounced at her voice. He was on his knees by the time she reached them. Hanika still wore the blue dress. She crouched down in front of him. The light behind them gave her sapphire eyes shiny facets. He flinched when he felt her cool hand rest on his cheek. She smiled and tilted her head. She looked like a swan.

"Daddy wants them alive." She said staring into Mac's eyes as if she saw the meaning of life there. Her face became the center point of a spinning world. Mac's mouth was dry. He tried swallowing down the confusing swirl of emotions.

"Then why did you try to kill us, sweetheart?" Jack grumbled. There was no mistaking the protective hostility in his voice. Hanika's eyes dropped and she turned away. Mac swayed feeling sick when she removed her hand and stood in one graceful move. Mac closed his eyes. He felt Jack's familiar warm hand on his shoulder steadying him.

"What about him?" Without opening his eyes, Mac knew the guy who wasn't allowed to hit Jack was the one asking. Mac forced his eyes open and glared at Hanika who had turned her back to them. Mac opened his mouth to argue for Jack's life. Hanika turned around and met Mac's eyes with a small smile.

"Bring him."

"But…?" Hanika turned and glared at the man. The man visibly huffed but relaxed his body. The goons around the two men closed in on them. Mac and Jack were dragged up the dirt incline to the side of the white van. Jack noticed there was a line of three other identical vehicles behind that one. The bad guy's version of the row of black Escalades, Jack figured.

The side door was opened and Jack was shoved into the empty interior. He'd barely landed when Mac was tossed on top of them. The door slid closed. Seconds later one of the faceless dark dressed soldiers climbed into the driver's seat and they were moving. Mac rolled off Jack curled on his side and heaved. The kid didn't have anything left but a little drool. Jack pushed himself up. He was surprised neither man was bound.

"Hey, kiddo. You ok?" Jack automatically rubbed Mac's back as he hurled. After a year or century, Mac unfolded and flopped back breathing fast. He moaned.

"Been better." He rasped. Jack was worried about how cold and sweaty the kid felt under his palm. He gently pulled Mac's damp hair away from his face. Mac put a hand to his forehead and groaned, "Would be fine if everything stopped spinning." Jack smiled at the grumpiness in Mac's voice.

"I hear ya, kid." Jack sat up and took in the van. He scowled realizing that they had been thrown into a cage built into the minivan interior. He ran his hand along the round bars. Iron. The only way they could get out would be a welder or if the iron bars rusted away. Neither was a likely outcome. Jack sat with his back against the bars. Mac slowly worked his way to the older man's side. He leaned against Jack resting his head on Jack's shoulder.

"Not getting out anytime soon." Jack sighed.

"What do you think of Hanika?" Mac asked. Jack wrapped an arm around Mac's shoulders. Using his dress shirt and torn jacket to hold up the chute, Mac was left with only a T Shirt. He wasn't cold yet, but Jack would keep an eye on it.

"She's pretty." Jack growled. Mac chuckled.

"No, I mean yeah, but not that. She said her father wanted us alive." Jack didn't like the half-hope, half-pain in Mac's voice.

"Right, if that's true why did she try to blow you up or do that nice little drive-by on the freeway?" Mac's eyes closed and he let out a frustrated sigh.

"I don't know. I don't get it." Jack pulled the kid closer.

"I know, buddy. I don't get it either." Jack felt Mac relax against him and fall into a light sleep. Jack fought the urge to do the same. He closed his eyes and tried to follow their driving route in his mind. He frowned. If he was right, they were headed for the airport. Not good.

Jack shook Mac awake as they slowed. By the hollow echo and shadows, Jack thought they were in a private hangar. Mac rubbed his eyes and straightened. Mac caught his gaze and nodded. Both men tensed, ready to pounce. The door slid open, but the cage did not. Hanika stood in front of them. Her face was cold, emotionless, cruel. Jack and Mac shared a confused look.

"We're here, boys." Hanika pushed a button on the side of the van door. Both men screamed in agony as their bodies flopped into spasms. Electricity ran through the iron bars. Jack felt his heart jump, his muscles cramp and blinding blue arcs crawled along his body burning as it went. He slumped sweating and panting. Darkness edged closer. His last conscious sight was Mac's slack face. Jack didn't know he passed out.

"Oh, man." Jack muttered. He felt like grilled salmon. He winced as he opened his eyes. His head felt like a nuclear bomb was trying to blow it apart. Blinking cleared his vision. He sat up in surprise.

"What the hell?" He'd expected to find himself in a cage, dungeon, torture chamber, maybe even tied to a chair getting drugged. He didn't expect this. Jack laid in the center of an enormous feather bed. Above him was an ornate lace canopy. The walls were all hand hewn stone fitted tightly together. There was no caulk or plaster between the giant blocks. The ceiling and floor had elaborate hand placed tile mosaics. The floor was smooth and cool to his bare feet. Jack shivered. The room was cold. He stood up scowling as he looked down. He wore black silk pajamas.

On the opposite end of the hall was a large heavy wooden door and beside it an open niche that appeared to be a bathroom. Over the door vaulted stained glass windows showered the room in warm reds and yellow. The light seemed to be from early evening. On the other end of the room a fireplace big enough for him to walk in without stooping burned bright with fire. Jack padded over to the fire and stood near it closing his eyes in bliss. The warmth took away some of the aches from his muscles. He hated being electrocuted.

Scanning the remainder of the room he saw a clean stack of clothes on a large hand carved wooden armoire. Jack crossed to it and raised an eyebrow. A bit preppy for his taste, and not black. Jack sighed. It was better than being cold. He pulled the thick woolen sweater over his head. It felt hand knitted from actual wool but was plush. It had a high color, cream color with blue designs. The slacks under the sweater were heavy wool and good quality but a dark brown.

On the floor in front of the armour, he saw a fur lined pair of slippers. They looked like moccasins, only made in a style he'd never seen before. Definitely not Native American. He scanned the room but didn't see his own clothes. Well they weren't boots, but they were better than freezing feet. Jack closed his eyes in bliss. The fur felt made for every curve of his feet. Jack frowned. All the clothes fit him perfectly. Jack realized that he should be covered with dirt and grime. Someone had bathed him, dressed him and gave him clothes that looked made for him.

"No, nothing creepy about that at all." Jack muttered crossing to the door. He only had one thing on his mind. He grabbed the metal ring and yanked back with all of his weight and almost landed on his ass. The door opened easily and silently. Jack eased out into a corridor that wrapped in a curve of stone almost sharp enough to be a circle. The floor was thick red carpet as clean and sharp as it must have been when it had first been made. The ceilings were high and stainglassed. Torches burned in simple iron brazers high enough he couldn't have reached them even if he jumped as high as he could.

Jack heard male voices coming around the curve in front of him, he whirled and ran the other direction. The hallway had one wooden door on its left wall then it opened into a vast ballroom. Jack saw handfuls of elegantly dressed people milling and visiting. They didn't seem to pay him any mind. The men behind him were coming closer. Jack shoved his way into the room. Again he was surprised by the ease of its opening. He found himself in a room identical to his only in blues and yellows. He was delighted to see Mac sleeping in the center of the bed. He was not happy to see he wasn't alone. Hanika Namid sat beside the unmoving kid gently running her fingers through his hair. She had a small smile on her lips. In the firelight, she looked like paintings Jack had seen of the Madonna he'd seen the few times he was dragged to church as a kid- loving and mysterious. Jack didn't buy it for a second. He stalked forward.

"Jack! Are you feeling better?" Hanika asked with a radiant grin. She wore a long gown that looked like red velvet. Her black hair was pulled back. Jack paused frozen by the sheer surrealism of their situation.

"No thanks to you. Get away from him." Jack's voice was sharp; his hands balled into fists. Hanika frowned and stood keeping hold of Mac's left hand.

"I would never hurt him." Hanika said it with such sincerity Jack almost believed her.

"So I dreamed about the bomb and all those yahoos shredding my GTO?" Hanika stepped back turning her head away.

"I...I'm sorry." She blurted as she shoved past him and ran from the room. Jack shook his head and winced his brain reminding him exactly why that was not a good idea. Mac's head moved and he gave a low hiss. Jack sat side saddle on the bed and studied the younger man. Mac still had bruises and bumps from the explosion. Jack noticed a patch stuck to Mac's neck. The motion sickness medication. He could see his partner had been bathed and his wounds treated as well. Mac moaned and his eyes fluttered.

"Oh man." Mac grumbled raising a hand to his forehead. Jack grimaced in sympathy. He knew how much his head hurt. He couldn't how Mac felt after the double whammy of bumps and electrocution. Mac blinked and squinted up at Jack.

"How screwed are we?" Jack grinned.

"Actually, better than normal." Mac raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Like Madagascar better?"

"Dude, nothing will ever be like Madagascar better." Mac chuckled then cried out softly putting his hand on his head.

"You ok, kiddo?" Jack asked worried. Mac rubbed his eyes.

"I almost wish there was a Sarlacc pit." Mac moved up to his elbows. Jack didn't like how pale or sweaty Mac looked at the shift in position. Jack reached out to help Mac sit up. Mac leaned forward his head in both hands.

"Mac?"

"I'm fine." Mac grumbled. He leaned back and stretched. Mac took in an let out a deep breath. He sat taking in the room, "Huh." He said.

"Huh? That all ya got?" Jack joked. Mac rolled his eyes and rubbed at the ridge that formed in the middle of his forehead.

"By the size and cut of the stone the castle probably started off as a 13th century fortress, probably French. It has been remodelled at least three times."

"Three times?" Jack challenged.

"The tiles in the mosaics are from the 16th century and the stained glass is from the 18th." Jack opened his mouth about to demand explanations when Mac held up a hand.

"It's technique. It's cold in here." Jack raised an eyebrow. Mac avoiding explaining his reasoning when asked? He helped Mac scoot to the side of the bed and sat beside him until he didn't look like he was going to either barf or faceplant. Mac looked down at the pajamas he wore. He reached out a hand and felt Jack's clothes.

"Don't look at me these were the only clothes left out." Mac nodded frowning. He stood up and wobbled over to the dresser. A stack of folded clothes waited for him. The shirt was a thick cable knitted blue turtleneck. The slacks were a dark grey. His shoes were identical to Jack's. Mac held out his arms.

"They fit perfectly." Mac mumbled.

"I know, creepy right?" Before Mac could reply, the door opened and a phalanx of armed soldiers in blue and red camos entered. Jack stood beside Mac automatically putting himself between the kid and the hostile guards.

"Well, you boys clean up nice." Hanika said from amidst the guards. Jack frowned. Gone was the sweet warmth he'd seen earlier, now the girl's blue eyes were cold daggers, her smile had a cruelty that set Jack's teeth on edge. There was something all wrong about this. Jack couldn't quite put his finger on it. Mac brushed past him.

"Dammit, Mac." Jack hissed grabbing Mac's elbow to keep him out of striking range.

"Hanika, what's going on?" Mac couldn't keep his confusion or pain out of his voice. Jack gritted his teeth when Hanika laughed.

"Daddy will see you now." She sneered pivoting and leaving the room.

"Hanika?" Mac cried out taking another step forward. He didn't notice the rifle pulled back ready to strike. Jack yanked Mac back as the rifle slammed down. A couple tiles cracked with the impact. Jack shot a glance at Mac, the blonde didn't seem to notice. Jack stepped into the guard's personal space and narrowed his eyes.

"Go ahead, swing again." Jack said in the same tone as a flaring cobra. The soldier took a step back, his Adam's apple working. He shot a look at the others.

"Let's go." The tallest man said. Jack glared at the man until he turned away and led them from the room. Jack paused and walked beside Mac who stared down with a hand rubbing the back of his head.

"You ok?" Mac looked up. For a second Jack saw the eternity mirrors of pain that he had seen in those blue eyes when Nikki had betrayed Mac or when Zoe drowned. Jack put an arm over Mac's shoulder and pulled him into a quick hug. Mac offered a watery smile of thanks.


	6. Chapter 6

Mac winced as they entered the ballroom. Like the rest of the castle, the room was made of stone. This one had polished stone parquet on the floors and white and brown marble overlay on the walls and ceiling. Ornate golden chandeliers lit by cascading electric lights dotted the room. A quartet on a raised platform played soft chamber music. Mac rubbed his temples. It sounded off key and tinny in his sore ears. They hurt more than they did at the explosion. Mac figured riding in a plane didn't help his blown eardrums. He was relieved he'd been out at the time.

"Mac, you ok?" Jack's voice was close. Mac realized his partner had put his arm across his shoulders. He coughed. At least he didn't feel nauseous or dizzy at this moment.

"Yeah." Mac wished there was more strength in his voice. He felt off balance and it had nothing to do with his ears. He stepped away from Jack and took in the people milling around him. His eyes widened and he broke into a grin. Over the years, Mac had lost count of the time he'd seen Jack fan-guy out. This was the first time he understood the feeling.

"Jack! Look, there's Abraham Molsk, he designed the VW921 probe! They're going to be sending it to the sun...Agnes DuWhit! Oh man, this is awesome!"

Jack opened his mouth to answer but Mac bounced into the group like an excited puppy. Jack laughed. He'd never seen Mac nerd-out before. Jack snagged champagne from a passing waiter. He turned and strolled along the edges of the room. He counted seven doors, two were bathrooms. The others led off into spiralling hallways like the one Mac and Jack had woken up in. He studied the weaponry of the soldiers as he passed.

Other than the impractical and ugly camos, the guards stood in relaxed positions. All had MAC 50s in hip holsters. One in five held FAMAS F-1s. He counted thirty-five soldiers in all. They didn't have the bearing of special forces. Probably line infantry. The weapons were French, still used today but soon to be replaced by updated versions. Jack frowned. They were all attentive and focused but seemed nervous. They were waiting for something. Jack scratched his chin and looked over to Mac. Jack rolled his eyes. The young genius was the belle of the ball. All the scientists circled him the same look of enthusiasm on their faces.

"Angus belongs among them." A familiar voice said at his elbow. Jack stiffened and half turned. The row of soldiers crept closer. Jack offered a disarming smile and sipped his champagne.

"Is that why you kidnapped us?" Jack asked quietly as he turned to face Hanika. Hanika sipped a martini looking at everything but Jack's eyes.

"I did that to save your lives." She whispered.

"Oh, really?" She glanced around the room afraid and pulled Jack's arm leading him over by the piano. The player didn't look up. Hanika looked up at Jack. Jack could see why the kid fell for her. She was pretty in an unusual way. She looked fragile. Jack scowled at her knowing better.

"Jack," Jack raised an eyebrow. How did she know his name?," Mac mentioned you alot." Hanika looked over at Mac. Jack's eyes bobbed between them. She was definitely into the kid. She looked down, "You have to get out of here. You both are in danger."

"No shit. We sorta figured that out when you tried to blow up Mac." Hanika looked at Jack surprised. Her surprise was genuine.

"I didn't...I would never hurt Angus. He's…"

"Colleagues, fellow seekers of the unknown, welcome to Demesne." Jack looked up and raised an eyebrow. This was the lord of the manor? The man was short and a bit hunched over. He had a faint hint of hair ringing his bald pate. One long strand of hair was pushed forward into a swirl. Jack shook his head wondering why guys did that. The man wore a mustard shirt under a beige sweater that matched his beige slacks.

"That's Daddy, Tree Namid." Jack nodded absently. The man had some wild eyebrows poking out of plastic glasses too big for his face. The man looked like the opposite of any kind of threat. Jack glanced over at Mac who stared at the man with narrowed eyes.

"I am here to tell you of a lifetime's work has come to fruition. Yesterday Ra 219 was launched." The room let loose with enthusiastic clapping. Jack absently clapped along turning to Hanika. She looked like she was going to be sick.

"This is a bad thing?" Jack asked. Hanika looked around her panicked.

"It's the end of the world." She whispered. Jack raised his eyebrows. Before he could ask for clarification. Hanika clung to his arm and almost hit behind him. Jack looked up then back then up again, "Let me guess your evil twin?" Jack asked dryly. A woman identical to Hanika swept into the room. Unlike Hanika her presence filled the room. Jack glanced over at Mac who was looking at Jack a look of relief and edginess in his water colored eyes. Their eyes locked and they both nodded. Something was going on and they knew it wasn't going to be good.

"No, that's my mom." Jack whistled softly under his breath.

"Damn, she looks like…"

"I know." Jack winced at the sharp grip Hanika dug into Jack's elbow, "She does everything to make us identical-plastic surgery, hair dye...I hate it, I hate her."

"So she's the one that planted the bomb and tried to kill us on the freeway."

"Yes, my father needs MacGyver's help...she wants him dead."

"Any reason why?"

"And here is my beautiful wife, Hanna Namid." Tree grinned and held out a hand. Hanna turned and gave the crowd a sideways princess wave as she swept up the step to the platform and stood beside her husband. She swatted off his hand and never looked at the balding man. Tree swallowed and looked at the ground.

"Welcome to my house, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your expertise…" Jack tuned her out shifting to look at the soldiers. They were looking at each other, nervous fingers twitching over triggers. They were tense. Jack looked over at Mac who watched Hanna with his arms crossed. Jack could feel the anger radiate from his partner.

"Something's about to go down." Jack murmured to Hanika. Hanika's eyes widened.

"She wouldn't!" Hanna yelled something, grabbed her husband by the collar and dragged him behind her toward the door behind the quartet.

"Mac!" Jack yelled. Mac whirled Jack pointed at the soldiers. Mac's eyes went wide and he dove to the ground. Jack whirled and grabbed the soldier behind him by the throat with his right hand and the man's arm holding the F-1 with his left. Jack slammed the tall blond against the stone wall and kneed him in his groin twice. The man's eyes closed and his body spasmed. Jack twisted with his left hand until the man dropped his weapon. Jack then turned and threw the guy over his shoulder. Jack bent and scooped up the rifle and kicked down. He growled. The man moaned. Damn slippers. Jack had to kick three more times before he heard the satisfying crunch of the man's windpipe collapsing. Jack reached out and snagged Hanika's arm pulling her toward him. Seconds later the room echoed with the deafening song of guns firing. Jack pushed Hanika behind him and eased back to the closest door that wasn't the bathroom. Guards turned to him, he shot them in controlled triple blasts. Jack ground his teeth. The aim was off. He adjusted his aim then fired again. He glanced over his shoulder to see the screaming and panicking scientists fall in geysers of blood. Mac curled into a rocking ball his hands over his ears. Jack could tell the kid was screaming in agony, but his voice was lost in the hurricane of violence all around him.

"MAC!" Jack screamed. He plugged three more guards and ducked back as a ricochet bounced off the stone a foot from his shoulder. Jack scanned the room desperately looking for some way of getting to his brother. There was none. On the good side, none of the gunmen shot directly at him. The bitch wanted Mac alive. Shit.

"Let's go!" Jack snarled grabbing Hanika's arm and leading her out the wooden door they finally reached. He shot one glance over at Mac, his heart caught and he felt strangled, "I'll get you out of here, brother. I promise." He called. He whirled and followed Hanika as the girl pulled up her gown and sprinted down a long twisty tunnel.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Mac felt like he was home, in a way. Many of the people he talked to were the scientists he'd met here when they'd come to build the solar sluice. There were a handful he didn't know. Mac made his way toward these.

"I don't even know why I'm here," A large man with a thick black beard said as Mac sidled up to his side.

"I know what you mean, I'm an accountant. These people are scientists."

"Well, I'm more lost than you, buddy. I'm a plumber." Mac raised his eyebrows. He took a sip of champagne using the gesture to cover his movement as he scoured the crowd.

"...nah, right here, man. They had me put in some weird swimming pool in the dungeon."

"You mean basement."

"No, I mean the dungeon. There are torture devices from the middle ages down there. It's creepy as hell." Mac strolled away from the men his mind whirling. Pool? Mac swallowed realizing the implications.

When he was here with the other scientists building the solar sluice the one thing they hadn't done was find a way to protect the controls from the EMP blowback. How could you control something electric after everything electric for miles has been killed? The scientists at the conference had not focused on it because the solar sluice was only theoretical at that point. Mac had designed the mechanism to gather the magnetic particles and how it would connect to a satellite. HIs design would allow normal solar winds to let out the thin collector and retract it when the levels return to normal. He had built it to be self functioning for decades. Of course, it was moot as there was no satellite in space fitted for the sluice. Mac's mouth went dry. Not yet, anyway.

Hanika had worked with him on the directional capabilities, where to send the EMP after the magnetic particles have gathered. Mac had left before they finished. Putting the controls in a pool of water with a molecular surfactant would definitely work, but it would still be unreliable and impractical. Mac would use Bromine. To be effective it would have to be put in the pool at fatal levels and unless kept cool would turn into a fatal gas. The controls would have to be in the bromine. Or...surrounded by it?

"Excuse me, I heard you say you built a pool?" He asked the plumber. The man looked surprised that one of the scientists in the small crowd would talk to him. Mac offered a friendly smile that was mostly authentic.

"Yeah, it was the weirdest thing. It was like a donut."

"A donut?" Mac felt his gut drop.

"Yeah, except the middle wasn't open there was…" Mac's eyes caught sight of Hanika talking to Jack. He tuned out everything else. Mac felt as if a fist was squeezing his heart. Jack's body language was relaxed. Mac rubbed his eyes. Hanika looked up and met his gaze. She gave him the same smile he'd seen across the table all five dates, and at his shoulder as they worked in the lab side by side. He smiled back for a moment he could smell her perfume. His heart pounded.

Mac turned as Tree Namid climbed on the end of the dais raised for the quartet. He was an accomplished scientist in his own right. He was a wealthy eccentric, but brilliant. Mac thought of the bomb and the attack on the freeway. He probably owned this castle, but Mac couldn't see him as a brutal king, or as Matty called it "Lord of the Manor." Mac's eyes travelled back to Hanika. He was surprised to see Jack easing her behind him. Jack met his gaze and cut his eyes toward the guards ringing the room. Mac saw what had drawn Jack's attention. They almost vibrated with tenseness. They were waiting, but for what?

The largest double door swung open and a stream of soldiers walked perfectly in sync surrounding...Hanika? Mac's eyes bounced back and forth between the two women. Mac felt his gut unwind. Of course, two. That was the only thing that made sense. Mac shook his head. Jack had been right. Mac hadn't figured it out because he was off balance and tied in knots.

"...Hanna." Mac frowned. The guards that had walked her in had been the same ones that had escorted he and Jack to this room. He had assumed they were the soldier's lining the room. They doubled the number of guns. Mac felt his body tighten not liking the number of barrels aiming in his general direction.

Mac returned his gaze to the woman. Up close Mac could see the subtle differences. Hanna's eyes were a shade darker, her face a shade paler, and Mac had an idea that she had dyed her hair. He looked back over to Hanika. Hanna had to be her mother, and she was not a well woman. Mac could see crazy swimming in her eyes and the cruel natural sneer her mouth hung in when closed. She was definitely the Lord of the Manor.

Mac could feel tension fill the air like lightning. He glanced at Jack then dove for the ground. Mac covered his ears. He had a fraction of a second to think _This is gonna suck_ before his head exploded. Mac curled into a ball and screamed in pain. He was dimly aware of the carnage around him but the loud rattle of gunfire sliced through his brain trails of agony following in their wake. He grunted as he felt a kick in his right hip. Mac's eyes watered, he could feel blood wash down his leg. Mac's head snapped back when something exploded into his forehead. His pain was washed into a sea of nothing.


	7. Chapter 7

Mac knew four things as he seeped into awareness. 1) His aches and pains had aches and pains, 2) He was tied up, 3) he wasn't alone and 4) It was going to get worse. He blinked grimacing against the pain of bright hot lights seering through his eyelids. Strips of full spectrum lights in a wide circle slowly came into view. Mac winced as he moved his jaw. His ears blared into pain with every heartbeat. His head was a soft melon waiting to roll onto the floor; his left side was shredded by a giant ice pick . Mac's arms stretched over his head and his feet stretched in the opposite direction. This was not good. Mac moaned raising his head. He leaned his head back down with another moan that had nothing to do with pain.

"Crap." He muttered. The hot lights stabbed deep into his head making it hard to think. He was on a narrow wooden table tilted at a 45 degree angle, two cranks hung off each end. Ropes of unbreakable cable connected the manacles biting into his wrists and ankles. His body was taut but not painful, yet.

Mac forced his eyes open and squinted taking in the room. He frowned his tired brain recalling the conversation he had with the plumber before the man was chopped to bits by bullets. Mac gritted his teeth and forced the grizzly memories away. He swallowed refusing to focus on his worry for Jack and Hanika. He needed to focus. He was in a domed room the size of his living room and hall. Above the lights he could see swirling red moving behind glass. It looked thick like blood. He was in the safe room under the pool of Bromine. Beside him was an authentic iron maiden, on the other side was a chair with a bladed sharp pyramid in the seat. Mac's heart jumped as he realized what torture the chair was built for. His butt muscles clenched. He never thought he'd ever be glad to be on the rack.

A circular control panel filled the arch of the circle at his feet. The three screens above the myriad of buttons, lights and gauges showed readings. Mac recognized the middle one as a reading of the magnetic flow coming from the sun. Mac swallowed. He was not an astrophysicist but he thought the increasing numbers meant a good-sized solar flare was building. The screen to the right had nine smaller screens showing circular hallways with soldiers running through them. Whenever they came upon party guests they gunned them down and stepped over their corpses. Mac's jaw clenched and he winced as his hands fisted in anger.

The screen to the left scanned through views of the outside of the castle. Mac watched them a long minute. The castle wasn't as large as an actual 13th century fort, maybe a third of the size. There were four narrow towers around a central center dome. Mac recognized the dome as the observatory he'd been in before. As he watched the top of it cut in half then folded open. A complicated antenna pushed up and flowered. Mac growled. It was the signal tower he'd designed for the solar sluice. They had finished it. Mac leaned his head back. He was exhausted.

They had control of the solar sluice. They had a satellite in space, and Mac assumed they had built the solar netting. He frowned. The only thing missing was the redirection collection array. It would have taken several trips to build it in site above the earth. What the hell were they going to do with the gathered magnetic particles? Mac looked at the readings of the sun. It looked like a flare bigger than the one in 1859 was building. There was no way to predict exactly when it would meet critical mass and explode toward earth. If they built the sluice to the recommended specifications the bulk of the particles would be collected, but if they aren't redirected the sluice would explode. What would be the point of that? The Namids may be crazy as a bag of cats but they aren't stupid. What's their end game? Mac opened his eyes, his heart pounding all his musings forgotten. He heard voices echoing hollowly in the round room. He frowned and followed the sound. He realized there was a staircase rising from below that emerged into a yellow gated alcove beside the control center.

"Ah, he's awake. Hello, Angus." Tree said cheerfully. Mac glared up at him.

"Oh, look how angry he is, my dear." Hanna said. It wasn't until she ran a sharp cold finger along Mac's chest that Mac realized he was only wearing his boxers.

"What do you want?" He couldn't stop the faint quiver in his voice. Hanna smiled down at him, but turned and followed her shorter husband to the control panel.

"Is it in place, Tree, darling?" Mac raised an eyebrow. The way she drawled the last word made her sound like a Disney villain-Maleficent or Cruella De Ville. Mac felt uneasy. He had no doubt it was an act. This woman was anything but a cartoon villain. Mac could see the shadow behind her eyes. She had something planned and suspected her husband had no idea what it was.

"She's going to kill you, you know." Mac said. Hanna turned annoyed. She raised a remote. Mac gasped as there was a grinding motor sound and he was pulled by his arms and legs in opposite directions. He closed his eyes biting his lip refusing to let out a cry of pain. Hanna laughed and let the winches wind. Mac felt pain as his shoulders and hips were pulled. Tree turned and snatched the remote from Hanna's hands. She turned and glared at the smaller man. Tree pressed another button and the pressure on Mac's joints eased. Mac relaxed sucking in air. He could feel blood running freely down his side.

"I told you no! He is not to be harmed. If something goes wrong he is the only one who could fix it." Mac squinted at the couple. Everything was foggy he shook his head trying to focus. Hanna turned and looked at him. Mac tried to swallow but his throat was too dry. Her lapis lazuli eyes were flat with the cold promise of an agonizing death. She turned back to Tree and they talked among themselves. Mac closed his eyes and tried to gather what little energy he had left.

He thought about Hanna and Hanika. He was sure the first four dates he'd had with her were with Hanika, but that last one he wasn't sure. Mac frowned. He was sure it had been Hanika who sat down with him and had left the bomb. Did she know she was carrying it? After that, it was pretty easy to sort through which one was which, but why had they shifted back and forth? Mac had a feeling it was more than a way to confuse him. It was...sick. Mac opened his eyes and watched as Hanna's sharp talons rubbed along the sweatered back of her husband.

How the hell had they gotten together? And the castle-demesne...lord of the manor. Mac felt lightheaded. He wondered how much blood he'd lost. Mac licked his dry lips and forced his sluggish brain to keep working. He had no doubt that Tree was a tool and nothing more. He was rumored to be a multi billionaire and had unique access to the most brilliant minds in the world, as well as a mighty cool castle.

Mac cried out as his head snapped to the side. He groaned and opened his eyes. Hanna stood over him. She rubbed his cheek where she'd struck him.

"No sleeping now, we have so much to do before...well, that's

a surprise." Her voice had lost it's over the top drawl. It was a harsher version of Hannika's. Mac couldn't stop his chest from hitching at the thought. Hanna smiled.

"You can't…" Hanna rolled her eyes. Mac shut up. He wasn't sure

What he was going to say, or why. He just felt like he should protest. Mac licked his dry lips.

"What about Tree and...Hannika?" Mac cleared his throat but was unable to stop his emotion from thickening his voice. Hanna's eyes sparked with fury. Mac frowned. Interesting. It took visible effort for Hanna to maintain control.

"Well, beautiful it's done! Now we just wait and soon we will have billions rolling in." Tree crowed. Mac blinked at him.

"You're...you're blackmailing the world?"

"You know we have no gathering array, we have no way of controlling the EMP effect."  
"But the world doesn't know that." Mac guessed. Tree grinned.

"Why? You have money." Mac figured the more they talked the more time Jack will have to come rescue him, if he was still alive. Mac veered away from the thought desperate to keep his tired brain under control. Tree shrugged but didn't answer. He looked pleased with himself.

"Can anyone stop it now?" Hanna whispered in the short man's ear.

"Well yeah, we can...right?" Tree studied his wife's face. Mac could see a small light of confusion. Mac closed his eyes. Poor foolish idiot. Mac braced himself for what he knew was coming. Hanna sidled over to the control panel and stroked it. Tree moved to her side.

"This panel, it controls the sluice?" She asked. Tree let out a high pitched nervous giggle.

"Of course, you know that...what's going on, Hanna?" Hanna sighed and dropped the act. She whirled and pulled a SIG Sauer P238. She emptied half of the mag into Tree's chest and head and the other half into the control console. Mac gritted his teeth to keep from crying out at the hollow blast of gunfire in the enclosed area. He could feel hot fluid run from his ringing ears. Pain flared across his skull. He winced as Tree's body flung backwards over Mac's bare legs leaving a thick smear of blood as it slipped down to the floor. Hanna studied the corpse then smiled at Mac. Her voice sounded like she was yelling at him from a mile away as she crossed to him and brushed hair out of his face.

"Sorry about the ears, dear. I'll have the doctor come in to check on you. We'll get this cleaned up, then...well we have more fun things to do." Mac gulped. Hanna laughed and went downstairs. Mac breathed out in relief knowing it was only a temporary reprieve before all hell broke loose.

"Jack." Mac whispered, "C'mon, big guy, get your ass in gear. I need you."

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

"Jack! This way." Jack glanced over his shoulder. He bent and grabbed more spare clips for the rifle he'd appropriated several corpses ago. Hannika appeared to walk into the wall. Jack gaped at her until she peeked out and waved at him.

"Fucking castles." Jack grumbled. The curves of these halls were messing with his sense of direction. He felt like he was crawling through the guts of a damned snail. Hannika pulled him through an opening in the wall. It swung silently shut behind him. He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders trying to relax the knotted muscles. Gunfights around curvy halls were not easy or fun.

They were in a circular landing of a tight spiral staircase. Jack groaned.

"C'mon! Who designed this place?" Jack growled. He couldn't see more than one twist up or down. He listened. The stone absorbed distant sounds and he didn't hear any footfalls close to them, yet, "Ok, how do we get to Mac?" Jack found himself whispering. The oppressive silence of the dark stone around them made him felt like he was in a temple or library.

"He's probably down in the control room. We have to go down…" Both turned and we're halfway down a twist when they heard the tell tale taps of boots rushing their way.

"Crap." Jack hissed spinning Hannika and shoving her upwards.

"Angus…?"

"Will have to wait, move girl! I don't think they're coming up to take us on a tour." Jack followed the fleeing girl up the steep steps.

"Hang on, brother. Hang on." Jack chanted under his panting breath.


	8. Chapter 8

"Angus…" She said his name with husky desire. Mac's lips found hers. His body responded, "Angus." Her voice was throaty, out of breath...he reached out to cup her cheek. Mac's eyes snapped open and he leaned his head back in shock. His hands were tied above his head. His body shuddered as if he'd been thrown in ice water. He tried to escape the mouth latched onto his, but he had nowhere he could go.

She laughed as she opened her eyes. She paused pulling back a little. Mac closed his eyes letting out a quick breath of relief. Hanna bit down on his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. Mac's eyes snapped open in surprise and she sucked blood off his bottom lip as she pulled away. Mac turned his head and spat, but there wasn't anything for him to spit. Hanna leaned back wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She leaned side saddle on the edge of the wooden table he was tied to. She brushed his hair away from his face. Mac shook his head frustrated. Her slap was loud and made the world spin.

"So tell me, Angus. Do you love me?" Mac winced. Her voice grated like a serrated blade across his head. Everything had a hum to it like a badly tuned radio. Hanna leaned down and grabbed his chin painfully in her sharp talons. She dug in hard enough Mac wouldn't be surprised to see chunks of his cheeks hanging from her fingernails. His blue eyes shot fire at the woman's face a mere inch away from his. Her eyes were dark ice as they trembled back and forth reading his answer in his glare. She smiled and leaned closer. Mac could feel her breath close on his reddened cheek.

She smelled of mint and his blood. He could feel her nose brush his cheek.

"Tell me you love me." She whispered. Mac could feel the words puff against his jaw where she clawed his flesh more than heard them. She leaned back and slowly released him. Mac turned his head away desperate to breathe any kind of air she wasn't in. Her slap was harder. Mac grimaced feeling the inside of his cheek sliced by his back molars.

"Tell me you love me." Her voice was soft, but cold. Mac gave her the full force glare of his disgust. She sighed and ran a hand in a spiral pattern across his chest, "That's all you have to do, Angus. Tell me you love me...and mean it." Mac raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Her eyes grew hard and flat at his look. She raised the remote. Mac's eyes widened in pain as he was yanked apart inch by painful inch. She raised her finger. Mac sucked in air, his body shook and sweat greased his body. He could feel all of his muscles stretched like taffy, his bones painfully tugged taut as his ligaments desperately tried to hold his body together. He closed his eyes. He barely noticed her next slap.

Hanna grabbed his hair above his sore forehead. She tugged his head up then slammed it back against the wood hard twice. Mac groaned. Everything spun and his joints screamed as his gut spasmed and tried to twist itself out of his belly. Mac choked when he tried to suck in air. Everything vanished in a fire of magnesium sparks.

Mac opened his eyes as Hanna gently washed his face with a wet towel. Mac blinked. Her face was blurry. He blinked confused for a long minute.

"Angus, are you ok?" For a second he smiled, they had finally reached him! They had come to save him!

"Hanika?" He asked hoarsely. His eyes cleared and he saw the faint crows feet the cruelty in the eyes. Hanna. She let out a yowl of anger and beat him with the wet towel. Mac felt his nose crunch as his face was twisted back and forth by her rage. Then Mac felt the wet towel cover his face. He tried to breath, but couldn't! His heart screamed in panic as he thrashed desperately. He felt the pulling in his arms and hips but couldn't stop himself from thrashing. His back thumped against the wood and he heard something pull lose like a crunching chicken bone. He didn't have air to scream.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Jack shivered as he and Hanika tripped out of the stone tower. Hanika turned and slammed the hidden door behind her shut. She crossed her arms shivering.

"I have no way of locking it!" She cried. Of course not. Jack thought sourly. He took in where they were. They were on the slippery roof of the castle or keep or whatever. There was a narrow walkway connecting the tower they were on to the big dome that hung open like a hungry pac man. Jack stared up at the complicated antenna above him. It looked like something Mac would build to get TV in the badlands of Afghanistan.

"What the hell is that?" He asked. His breath hung in the dark air in front of him. Spotlights aimed up at the dome cast long shadows. Jack felt like he was hidden out of sight even though he knew that was an illusion. He also knew they didn't have long before their pursuers would burst out behind them. Jack checked his last mag and scowled. Not enough. He realized Hanika had been talking to him fast and breathless. She sounded like Mac did when he was about to spiral into unfettered panic. Jack slung the rifle over his shoulder and grabbed both of her shoulders with his chilled hands.

"Whoa, stop, STOP!" Hanika looked at him wide eyed and breathless.

"They're going to do it? Oh my God, I knew she was crazy...Jack it's the end of the world!" Hanika's face was bone white. Jack was afraid she was going to pass out. He thought of slapping her, but it would be like hitting Mac somehow.

"Hanika, breathe! C'mon sweetheart, I need you to take a breath. C'mon. Breathe with me, kiddo." Slowly Hanika's breathing fell in line with his slow deep breaths. Jack waited until she was in control again then let her go. His hands hovered over her shoulders in case he had to grab her again.

"Ok, I'm ok. I'm sorry, Jack."

"That's ok, darling. I'm kinda used to women swooning around me." He hoped his smile looked less forced than it felt. Hanika stared at him a long minute before she snorted in laughter. It had a barely hysterical edge to it. Jack gritted his teeth. It would have to do. He looked over his shoulder at the giant...whatever hanging above them like the Eiffel Tower made out of bottle caps.

"Ok, what is that thing? What do you mean 'end of the world'?" Jack took her shaking hand and slowly made his way along the stones. He closed his eyes and bit back vertigo. He couldn't see the ground clearly, but he saw enough to know it was a long, long way down. A short row of crenulations lined the stone pathway. They came up to mid-calf and offered no help if they should slip.

Jack didn't know if it was the late night air, fog, or a hint of snow, but the stones were slick with a thin layer of ice. His heart thumped against the meat of his chest threatening to fly out. Hanika's words distracted him, but did nothing to help his anxiety.

"I mean the end of the world as we know it!" Hanika's voice took on a familiar lecturing tone that made Jack's gut clench with worry for his brother. These two kids were so much alike Jack wondered if this little lady was the one his boy had been looking for his whole life. Jack smiled at the thought. He liked her. She had a good heart, just a real bitch of a mother. Jack shuddered at the idea of that bitch being Mac's mother-in-law.

"...everywhere!"

"What?" Hanika humphed in frustration. Jack's smile didn't fade. He faced forward picking their path with studious care, but he could feel the eyeroll.

"I said, there is no way to redirect the magnetic particles. If they open the array and leave it aimed facing tangentially toward the sun, the earth will be hit with a concentrated blast of geomagnetic particles." Jack frowned.

"That's bad, I'm guessing."

"It's like a giant EMP, but will hit 4/5ths of the Earth!" Jack paused sliding to a stop. He could see the red of her face. In the dim light her jewel eyes gleamed with a shine that had nothing to do with reflected light.

"How do we stop it?"

"We can't, but…" Hanika cried out as she tripped and slid toward the edge of the walkway. Jack reached out with the speed of a striking cobra. He winced at the bruises he knew he left on her arm. She clung to his shirt, eyes closed and leaned her head against his chest a second. Jack found himself cupping her head under his chin. He felt her shake from cold and fear.

"You ok?" He asked bending down to meet her gaze. She swallowed and nodded looking nervously back the way they'd come. Jack nodded he could feel time ticking away too. He started toward the giant pac man dome.

"We can aim them here." Hanika said breathlessly. Jack frowned but didn't look up from the shiny stones they navigated.

"Aim what?"

"The EMP. We're far enough away from anything nothing else should be harmed." Jack paused to look back at the girl. He knew that tone of voice, normally it came from his partner when Mac was about to tell him the worst plan ever.

"But?"

"It will kill everyone in the castle." The night became silent except for their heavy breaths clouding with their exertion. He felt her fingers grip his elbow painfully. He glanced at her, "There is a way, but there is a down side." Jack grimaced.

"Of course there is. Why do I feel like I'm not going to like it?" Hanika shot him a wild grin and pulled her long black hair back from her face. Jack shook his head and braced himself. He turned to face her and his eyes widened. He grabbed the sleeve of her velvet dress and pulled her to the cold stone. She let out a squawk of surprise and he was dimly aware of a rip in her sleeve he'd made in her dress. She didn't complain as a shower of bullets filled the air where they had been standing. Four soldiers in full winter TAC gear stood in formation around the open door they had come from. Jack shoved Hanika toward the dome and rose to his knees aiming carefully. He paused. He could feel a calm drape around him like soft lace. He waited. Two of the soldiers stood and lined up to start along the narrow parapet. Two more shot at Jack. Jack ignored the bullets pinging off the stone around him. Caught in the wind and sliding on the slick stone, the soldiers had the successful aim of stormtroopers. As an experienced sniper, Jack knew how to compensate for the environment. He snapped off three shots. All four men dropped dead or bleeding. He could see more peeking out of the doorway. Jack grimaced and aimed a spray and pray at the doorway keeping the enemy's head down as he stood, pivoted, grabbed Hanika and hauled ass into the dome. Hanika slapped at a code pad with trembling hands. Jack shoved her through a tall metal door then heaved it shut behind him. It looked and felt like a submarine hatch. Jack whirled the wheel until he heard something thump. Hanika smashed the code pad with a fire extinguisher.

Jack gaped at her. She tossed the metal canister aside and rubbed her arms.

"They can't get in." She said. Jack closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"We can't get out either." He pointed out. Hanika ignored him stepping farther into the observatory. Jack tossed aside the empty rifle and followed her. It was still cold with the double doors above them open, but as they neared the base of the antenna Jack felt a hot breeze snap his clothes like flags on the rampart. Hanika smiled at him.

"Radio waves. This antenna is sending messages directly to the satellite my father sent up in space." Jack swallowed backing away.

"That doesn't cause limbs to fall off or cancer in important parts of a man's anatomy does it?"

"Not in limited exposure." She said absently. She shoved her hair out of her face and walked over to a wall that reminded Jack of the cockpit of a 747. He followed in her wake taking in their surroundings. The floor was a gleaming black stone that shone with ice or polish. The circular walls were covered with equipment of all kinds. Jack almost expected to see life vests and netting along the steel rails. There were coils of black wire and other electronic stuff. Jack saw a tube the size of of a cannon laying to the side. He crossed to it curious. He recognized the glass lenses. This was the telescope that had brought out Mac's inner space nerd.

"I can't access the controls!" Hanika yelled slamming her small fist against the metal panel. Jack crossed her side. He whistled not surprised the woman couldn't do anything. The console had been smashed into bits. Twisted wires sprouted from the switches and lights. Jack doubted even Mac could have made it do anything. He opened his mouth to say something when a flash of fireworks blazed into life above them. Jack's eyes snapped up and his mouth dropped open. Shimmering lights of all colors smeared across the sky. Jack grinned.

"Wow! That's cool." He said awe hushing his voice.

"No, that's bad, very bad." Hanika said at his elbow. Jack looked down at her puzzled, "Those are electrically charged particles from the sun hitting the earth's atmosphere." Jack swallowed at the hollow defeat in the girl's voice. She looked up at him, "That is the edge of the wave of solar particles coming our way." Jack looked up his heart skipping.

"How long before we're fried?"

"If the sluice is unfurled it will buy us time, but when it fills…"

"Not good?"

"No, by itself the Geostorm would be bad but diffuse. Collected in the sluice the particles are packed together and gain electric and magnetic charge at an exponential rate."

"In English?"

"We are about an hour away from having a shower of particles with the equivalent energy of millions of nuclear explosions raining down on most of Earth." Jack huffed. The night was suddenly airless.

"Well shit." He murmured.


	9. Chapter 9

"Ok, so how do we fix this." Jack asked as he whirled to face Hanika. She stared up at the glowing sky. Jack sighed. He could easily see the blues and greens reflected off the shine of her eyes. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. Jack crossed to her and took her by the shoulders turning her to face him. He shook her gently.

"Hanika, Hanika!"  
"We're going to die. We're all going to die, and it's all my fault." Even as her eyes widened and filled with tears, Jack could see her fight to keep from crying. Lord save me from guilt-ridden geniuses.

"No, I refuse to accept that. We have to get out of here, rescue Mac and stop that thing from going boom."

"I...I...we can't, there's no way! Can't you see that…"

"STOP IT!" Jack snapped. Hanika blinked in surprise. Jack fixed her with the full force of his Delta stare, "Look, I need you. We can do this. This scoop thing…"

"Sluice!"

"Fine, whatever. It's filling up with nuke crap...is there somewhere we can dump it, or float it into the sun or something?" Hanika gaped at him her face three shades pale. "Or something?" He repeated. Hanika turned slowly. Jack could see her wheels spinning.

"Hey, sweetheart, what's going on in that head?" Jack wondered if it was his lot in life to get geniuses to use their words. His eyes creeped up his head when Hanika grabbed him with both hands on his cheeks then plant a 4 alarm fire on his lips, "Ughmph?"

"You're a genius!" She panted letting him go and turning to the busted control panel. It took a second for the room to stop spinning. At least Mac never reacted like that! Damn. He trailed after her trying to follow the babble she mumbled. She waved her hands as if she were conducting an orchestra.

"If we aim it directly at the sun then the sluice will explode, if we use the radio antenna to bleed off the magnetic radiation…" Hanika kept mumbling as she absently tossed hair behind her ear. She hiked the grimy red dress up over her knees, pulled a panel off the side of the control panel and climbed into it. Jack leaned over, but understood even less than he did when Mac tried to explain something.

"What can I do?" Hanika looked over her shoulder.

"The cables on the wall...put them together." Jack nodded and crossed to the rows of cables. Jack wondered what they were used for when they weren't being used for saving the world. They had brass fittings on each end. It took Jack a few minutes to figure out how to line them up and latch them. They made a strong connection. Jack worked quickly. Soon he was in a pile of cording that reached higher than his knees. Hanika backed out of the control panel a nest of smaller wires sparking in her hands. She carefully set them on the floor and crossed to Jack. Jack did not like the heavy seriousness in her face.

"Ok, kiddo, what next?" He said trying to keep his voice light. She put a cold hand on his arm and looked up at him with wet eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She bowed her head and swiped at a stream of tears, "Hey, hey...easy. What's wrong?" Hanika took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders.

"Jack, promise me you'll do exactly what I say and nothing else." Jack scowled. He knew he was not going to like this.

"What…?"

"JACK! Promise, please? It's important if you want to save the world...and Mac." Jack nodded.

" I give you my word."

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Mac was in a red smoking whirlwind of pain. When the pain became too much everything blinked out for a time and Mac went away. Then freezing water was tossed on him yanking him from the peaceful blackness to the world of agony. Around and around, the world spun in an endless loop. Always in the eye of the hurricane, she was there…

"Do you love me? Just say it, that's all, and I'll let you go." Finally Mac had enough.

"Fine! I love you ok, is that what you wanted? Bitch." Mac rasped. To his surprise he wasn't hit and the bone breaking winches didn't grind into life. Mac closed his eyes and heaved in air. It was hard and painful to take a deep breath with his arms pulled so far above his head. Mac jumped at a touch on his cheek. He opened his eyes and met her blurryface. Her twin ice eyes stabbed him through the fog.

"See, that wasn't hard, was it?" Mac coughed as blood ran down his throat from his nose and mouth. She smiled and gently wiped his face. She studied him like a collector admiring a valuable painting, "Now, Angus. Tell me how much more you love me?" Mac blinked away black fuzziness.

"Wha..?" He gasped. Hanna rubbed his wet hair away from his face. She sighed and twirled it in her fingers.

"Hanika is a child. She can't give you what you want, what you need. You see that don't you? Tell me. Tell me how much you love me." Mac closed his eyes everything fading to a green buzz for a long minute. He shook awake when she grabbed his hair and yanked his head back. Mac stared up into her frozen eyes and winced. Her face had hardened.

"Tell me or I swear to God I will cut you up into cubes right here right now." Mac studied her hard killing gaze. He had to buy time. He used the only weapon he had. He licked his lips.

"What do you want me to tell you? You're more beautiful than her? You are. She is so much more inexperienced. You clearly outshine her in every way." Mac's body shuddered in her arms. Her face split with a delighted grin. She released his head and leaned beside him. Her finger absently circled his chest. Mac fought not to flinch.

"You never knew we switched did you?" Mac barely managed to hide his grimace.

"If I did it was because you are so much more…" Mac faked a cough to hide the hitch in his chest. He felt like the woman was carving his heart out.

"I know darling, I know. Relax. You need some rest. I'll be back." She leaned over. Mac closed his eyes and forced himself to return her passionate kiss. She smiled and turned to the armed guards at the staircase. Mac turned his head and spit out blood. He couldn't get rid of her taste. He closed his eyes and breathed as deeply as he could forcing his body to relax. Maybe if he sweet talked her enough she'd untie him. It wasn't much of a hope, but it was all he had-well that and the one he always has.

"Jack." Mac whispered. Where are you?

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Jack felt like his fillings were rattling loose. He took one last look at Hanika and nodded. She stood with her arms crossed. She waved a hand then turned to the control panel. The plan was risky and probably wouldn't work, but it was all they had. Jack knew they were in a time crunch but he watched her. He couldn't just leave her, could he? Jack closed his eyes and swallowed. He could and he would. Didn't mean he had to like it though.

Jack grunted as he climbed the radio tower. The coils of electric wire were heavy as he hauled himself up climbing spikes. He hoped they didn't break. They were roughshod pieces of iron welded half heartedly into the trunk of the antenna. Jack's breath fogging in the air and soon he was rasping in air. The climbing kept him warm even as the bitter wind savagely stole his heat. Before he was half way up, he was shaking and his teeth were chattering. His hands were cramped and he'd stop periodically to shake them. He did not need frostbite. He still had nightmares about his frost-butt from Siberia. Granted France was nowhere near as cold as Siberia, but in the wind on a night when it was drizzling and the sun was doing funky things? Well it sucked. That's all Jack had to say about it. This whole thing sucked. Jack growled and counted off the ways it sucked as he climbed.

Jack was surprised when he reached the top of the antenna. He stepped onto a small platform that circled the antenna. His head hurt from the continuous pulsing from the antenna. He sucked in air and rubbed his shoulders setting the cords down. He looked down and closed his eyes.

He didn't have the fear Mac did of heights, but he figured he was close to 150 feet up on the topmost part of a freaking castle on an antenna of doom built by crazy people. He was a little freaked out. Jack rubbed his face and looked up. Ten feet over his head the joint between the vertical antenna and the horizontal arms swung in the wind. Jack hauled the electrical wire to his other shoulder and climbed the pole.

This ten feet was almost harder than the last 150. He had to climb it without any kind of ladder or steps. It was slick and freezing under his hands. Jack climbed then slid back down a few feet before he could get a grip and climb more. Finally heaving with exertion. Jack managed to swing into sitting on the branch. He wiped his face and studied the layout.

Of course, Hanika was right about the layout. Jack smiled feeling a pang in his heart. She knew the equipment and castle better than anyone. Jack had to make his way to the end of the branch then climb down to the ground on the outside of the dome. The metal below him began to hum. He looked up as the night became a golden afternoon. While breathtaking, the Aurora above him was not a good thing. Jack thought it looked like the shimmering flames of hell. He grunted and began to crawl along the cross hatched metal arm one steel pole at a time. It was a long nerve wracking process. The poles were a little out of his reach so he had to jump for the next one. Several times Jack thought he was a goner when his hand slipped on ice. Ignoring the panicked pounding of his heart he kept going. There was no other choice.

After an exhausting eternity, Jack reached the narrow most edge of the antena. Jack yelped as it began to sink beneath him. He could hear the metal behind him creak and groan. Jack desperately tied the electric cords as tight as he could. He rose to his knees ready to drop the bulky roll when something slammed into his upper arm.

"Hey!" Jack bellowed. He looked down to see blood pouring from a bullet graze. He looked down and swore. He couldn't see the soldiers, but there were a lot of bullets sparking off the metal around him. He was backlit by the fireworks behind him. Jack grunted. He was a duck waiting to be shot off the range. Moving as quickly as his frozen fingers could move he tied the end of the cable around his middle. He closed his eyes. Muttering a prayer he jumped into the open air of the night, screaming as he fell.

Jack wasn't sure who was more surprised him or the guy standing two feet in front of him when the wire stopped his fall. Jack cried out as at least two of his ribs snapped. He was pretty sure his internal organs weren't thrilled either as the knot he'd hastily tied fell open and he flopped to the ground. He puked on the soldier's boots moaning. Damn. Everything faded a minute. When it returned, he was dangling between two soldiers, surrounded by seven others all headed to the castle, probably the dungeon. Crap, Jack thought as he bent over in agony. He tasted blood and winced. Something was seriously wrong in his belly. He tried to mumble something to the soldiers holding him. They ignored him. Jack moaned as he jackknifed and started puking again. The men dropped him and stepped away. Jack felt the world slowly fading to shades of gray as he almost face planted in his own vomit.


	10. Chapter 10

The cold slap of stone against his head startled Jack awake. He moaned and rolled into a ball. His gut felt full. Not good. He squinted up and closed his eyes. Of course, it was the wicked mother from hell. She stood with her hands on her hips and screeched at the two men who had dragged Jack into a control room.

Jack bit his lip to stay silent as he took in the room. He grinned. Mac laid on a tilted bench. Jack's grin vanished when he took in the bruises and the tilt of his left shoulder- dislocated. His collar bone was broken. The kid was a ghastly sallow and his belly retracted every time he took a breath. Jack's anger washed away his pain.

"...I told you to take care of him! Why is he here?" Jack laid his head on the stone and took several breaths trying to build energy. He smiled. The boot less than a foot from his face had a shin sheath holding a beautiful black K-Bar 11" straight edge. He moved with thought.

Fast as a rattler he snapped it out of its sheath and slashed the closest knee. The soldier to his right dropped to the knee screaming. Jack sat up and flipped the knife in his hand giving the notch over his windpipe a straight jab. Jack hissed in pain as the other soldier grabbed him by the shoulders of his sweater. Both sleeves fell off at the shoulders. Jack fell to his knees. Jack grunted and stabbed straight out. Jack turned aside as blood sprayed from the goon's femoral aorta.

Jack flailed as he was grabbed from behind. He reached back tangled his fist in Hanna's long black hair and heaved. Jack cried out as he bent over to toss the woman over his shoulder. Hanna yelped and hit the ground face first. She rolled over and grinned. Blood ran down her forehead and from her nose. She held up a remote control.

Jack whirled as he heard the grinding of motors. His eyes widened as he saw Mac's arms and legs pulled farther apart. Mac cried out his bright blue eyes shaded with pain. He managed a grimace, the closest he could get to a smile, when he saw Jack.

"Mac!" Jack wheezed as he crawled toward his partner.

"Jack...be...hind…" Mac gasped as loudly as he could. Jack rolled onto his back in time to see Hanna coming toward him insane fury in her eyes. Jack waited until she stood over him then threw the K-Bar with all his might. It slipped in his blood covered fist and flew higher than he intended.

Hanna's eyes widened as the knife slammed into her chin. The top of the blade stuck out the ruin of her nose. She gurgled then fell to the floor twitching. Jack stared at her a long time. Mac's half swallowed scream jolted Jack out of his stupor. He held his abdomen with his bloody right hand as he scrambled for the remote. He pulled himself up to Mac's side. The buttons blurred before his eyes. He pressed a button the motors whined louder. Mac screamed.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry…" Jack pushed another button and the manacles fell open. Mac laid back with a moan. Jack grinned and reached out brushing his fingers on Mac's necks. Jack slumped in relief at the fluttering he felt there. Mac groaned and slowly turned to face Jack. He smiled.

"G...glad...you...finally got...here." Mac gasped. Jack hunched forward. Mac blinked taking in his partner's pallor. Mac howled in pain as he forced his right arm to his side. He reached over and grabbed his left arm lowering it. Mac closed his eyes sucking in air as everything faded for a second. Sweat beaded, chilling his body.

"Mac?" Jack whispered. Everything was swirling. Mac shook his head and raised himself on his right elbow. Jack grunted as he helped Mac sit up. They both sat staring at each other for a long minute.

"You 'k?" Mac asked. His voice was husky. Jack grimaced, but didn't answer. Mac looked behind Jack, "Where's Hanika?" Jack closed his eyes, bracing himself. Mac took in the older man's grim expression. Mac reached out and grabbed Jack's forearm.

"Jack, where's Hanika?"

"Mac, listen we don't have much time." Jack closed his eyes forcing himself to remember what Hannika had told him to tell Mac." She said you need to turn the scoop's scuttle to 90 degrees and that she has the antenna at plumb." Jack opened his eyes pleased he'd gotten it right. He frowned, Mac was scooting toward the edge of the table holding his left arm in his right.

"Where is she? We have to get to her!" Jack leaned over and blocked Mac's way with a hand across the younger man's chest. Mac's eyes were wild with pain and worry.

"MAC! You have to do what I just said! Or everyone is dead, not just us EVERYONE!" Mac stared at Jack for a long minute.

"Where is she, Jack?" His voice was soft. Jack leaned onto his elbows, "Jack?" Jack looked up, his eyes meeting Mac's. Mac shifted his head and closed his eyes. Jack felt his breath hitch at the pain on the kid's face.

"I'm sorry, kiddo." He whispered. Everything swirled around him.

"JACK!" Mac cried as Jack folded and collapsed to the floor. Mac slid off the plank and sank to his knees. HIs heart pounded. Hannika was gone, like Zoe...Mac shook his head and swallowed the agony. He hissed in pain as he gently rolled Jack onto his back. The older man's skin was cool and pale. Mac's hand shook as he felt for a pulse. He let out a long relieved breath. One handed Mac checked over his partner.

Mac frowned, he couldn't find a wound...he froze when he lifted Jack's shirt. Mac didn't think he'd ever seen a worse bruise. Jack's abdomen was hot to the touch, swollen and hard. Internal wounds. At least two broken ribs. Mac paused shutting his eyes against the dark sparks crossing his vision. He reached over and dug his fingers into his swollen shoulder. Mac fell forward screaming. Everything went white. Mac sucked in air and shook his head. His body shook, but he could feel adrenaline pumping throughout his body.

Mac took in the room. He thought of what Hanika wanted and turned to the control panel. Mac staggered to the bloody K-Bar. He studied the bullet holes and torn wires. He fell to his knees. The control panel was too damaged, but if he could get behind it… Mac smiled. He crept over to Hanna's rack and bent holding onto the wooden table. He looked up. Jack was under the center of the Bromine donut. He'd be safe there. Mac lifted the remote and hit a button. The cable unspun from the hitch.

Mac pulled himself to his feet, pausing as everything swirled around him. Sweat ran down his face like tears. He grabbed the closest manacle and dragged it over to the control panel. He fell to his knees and clipped it onto the overhang with the buttons. He fell back on his ass and pushed his butt until he was out of the way. He raised the remote.

The winch squealed and the cable twanged as it pulled taut. Mac wiped his face with his right forearm. The wall screamed and the control panel skittered away from the wall. Mac coughed at the dust and fiberglass blown into the air. He stopped the winch and crawled behind the console. He bit his lip and squinted at the plethora of wires and cables in front of him. He didn't know which colors led to which system, but if he had fretted about that he would never have been an EOD.

Mac's chest burned like it was full of fire ants. Mac coughed and ignored it. Finally he twisted two copper wires together. He winced and shook his hand as electricity arced across the connection. He could feel the floor below him shake as the giant motors at the bottom of the castle roared into life. Mac sank back against the dirty metal.

"H...m...e?" Mac's head snapped up. He followed the sound to a small speaker at the top of the console. He smiled and followed the wires. He cross wired it to another system and wiggled it until he could hear the voice.  
"I don't know if you can read me, Mac? Jack? Are you there?" Mac's heart plummeted. Hanika. He glared in the general direction of Jack. Jack hadn't lied to him, but he might as well have. Mac scrambled through the broken switches and wires.

"No, no, no...hold on, I'm coming…" Mac grumbled.

"I'm sorry, Mac. I don't know if you're there. The sky is beautiful, every bit as beautiful as that time in Santa Monica...I loved the pier…"

"No, dammit!" Mac fell against the sharp edge of the console. His chest spurted blood as the sharp metal cut into his skin. He didn't notice.

"Mac, I'm sorry, so sorry. Don't be mad at Jack, I made him promise to not come get me and to keep you from coming to me. I'm sorry." Mac could hear her voice hitch with tears.

"Hanika!" Mac growled pounding his fist against a panel of broken lights. Sparks flew. He bit his lip thinking. She had to be in the observatory. He knew what she'd done and knew she would die. Mac scanned the cat's cradle of wires and flickering lights. There had to be a way. Mac's eyes alighted on the dead soldiers. He pulled himself along the instrument panel.

"Mac, I'm...it won't be long now. I can see the flare of the sluice. Stay under the Bromine dome, you hear me! I...I need to know you're ok. I have to believe you are going to live. To remember me…" Hanika broke off. Mac couldn't tell if she was crying or choking. He fell to his knees and yelled in rage as he crawled to the closest soldier. He patted down the guy's pockets. He found a lighter and pack of cigarettes. He tossed them aside.

Crawling through the lake of blood between the two men, Mac yelled in success as he pulled a cell phone from the man's pocket. Mac tried to rise to his feet, but slipped and fell to the stone. Mac screamed as he landed on his bad shoulder. He laid on his side panting.

"M...M...M…." Hanika's voice vibrated like she was standing in front of a fan. Mac slid himself forward.

"Hold on, I'm coming…" He grunted. He cursed his brain as it concisely ran down what was happening to her body. The EMP was redirected full force along the antenna. The size of the blast would overload all the electricity in her body frying her nerve system then all of her cells would lose their coherence, "No, Not again, dammit!" Mac reached the corner of the console. He braced himself and stood up leaning on the metal as he staggered around to the wires. If he could…

"MAAAC! AHHHH!" There was a loud snap and everything blew in the console. Mac was thrown to the floor. He broke into a painful gag raising on his good arm. Thick plastic smoke billowed in the air. Mac ignored it pulling himself toward the useless control panel. There had to be a way…

"Hanika…" Mac grumbled. Suddenly hands grabbed him around his chest. He pulled against the grip. He had to get to the wires, there was still a possibility if he…

"Mac, quit it." Jack grunted. Mac squirmed against his partner's hold.

"Jack, let me go...I have to…"

"Mac, it's too late!"

"NO, I have to…" Mac managed to break from Jack's grip. Jack cried out and fell back. Blackness wobbled his vision. He coughed and looked up. The fire was moving from the rubber wiring to the plastic lights. Mac was oblivious. Jack gritted his teeth and grabbed Mac. Unfortunately the only limb in range was his bad arm.  
"Sorry, kiddo, sorry…" He hissed and he tugged back. Mac flopped back and screamed in pain. Jack could feel tears wetting his face. He closed his eyes when he felt the bones of Mac's shoulder grate together. When he was close enough, Jack lifted Mac and pulled him close to his chest. Jack pushed them both back until they were in the center of the round room. Jack fell backwards trying to breathe through the agony wracking his torso. He felt Mac pull away from his grip.

"Mac, don't…" Jack managed. He reached out for his partner. He couldn't feel the kid or see him, "MAC?" Jack had a note of panic in his voice.

"I'm here, Jack." Mac's voice was soft, flat, dead. Jack felt his heart shatter for his partner.

"I'm sor…"

"Shut up, Jack." Mac grumbled. Jack ran his hand over his face.

"I promised, Mac. I had to leave her…"

"SHUT UP!" Mac roared. His voice reverberated off the glass. Jack closed his eyes giving up and letting his tears fall.

"I'm so sorry." He murmured. Mac didn't answer him. Jack could feel the rage flood from his partner. Mac would forgive him, he just needed time. Jack told himself. Still, he couldn't close the open wound in his heart, "I'm so sorry." He repeated in a whisper.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack was surprised he didn't hurt when he woke up. He opened his eyes and let out a deep sigh of contentment. He felt pretty darn good. He took in his surroundings. He was at Phoenix medical. Above his a forest of half empty bags hung over him. He grinned seeing the morphine drip. That explained the noticeable lack of pain. There would be world peace if everyone had their own morphine drip, Jack thought stretching. He frowned feeling a pull in his side. He raised the bedding to see a tube stuck in his side draining blood and other stuff. That was gonna hurt when the drugs were taken away. There weren't any other dressings only a spectacular set of thick bruises and a deep red line where the cable dug into his waist. Jack dropped the blankets and yawned. For jumping more than 200 feet, it wasn't all that bad.

Jack looked at the empty chair beside his bed and felt a moment of panic followed by a lurch in his gut. Mac! Jack grabbed the bed rail intending to get up and find his friend when he noticed Mac standing in front of the window. Jack studied the kid, not liking what he saw.

Mac's left shoulder was fixed in a hard brace that forced it against his side. He wore a sling. Jack winced. He new from experience having a broken collar bone sucked, having one and having it braced was a whole new definition of pain. Not that you could tell in Mac's posture. He stood stiff as if he had been ordered to attention in the military. Even in profile he could see the complete emptiness in Mac's face. Jack frowned. Mac glared out the window with a look he'd seen when Zoe had died. Then Mac had a staring contest with all of Los Angeles. Out in the empty hills around Phoenix Jack had no idea what Mac was staring at. Of course, Jack told himself, Mac probably wasn't seeing anything except the hell of his own mind playing scenarios of what could have been over and over in his imagination. Jack pushed the button on the bed until he was sitting up. He closed his eyes and held the tube at his side gasping in pain.

He was surprised Mac didn't move, didn't flinch. Was he ignoring Jack? Jack tried to swallow. His mouth was too dry. He rubbed his face. He felt his own guilt stab his heart. Hanika. He'd liked her and thought she could have been something special for Mac. Jack poured himself a drink eyeing Mac over the rim of the plastic cup. The cool water soothed his throat and filled his belly, in a good way. Mac stood like a gargoyle glaring at the doors of a church. Jack noticed cotton shoved in his partner's ear and cursed himself. He'd forgotten about the damage to Mac's ears. Jack thought about the long flight from France to LA and winced in sympathy. It must have been hell. Jack's heart broke in half. He should have been there to comfort Mac. Once again he'd failed the kid. Jack shook his head and braced himself for a hurricane. He emptied the plastic cup then threw it at Mac.

He didn't have Mac's preternatural hand and eye coordination, but the cup flew true. Mac jumped when it bounced off his shoulder. Jack cringed hoping he hadn't hurt his buddy. Mac whirled panic in his eyes. He took in the room then focused on Jack. His mouth dropped open. Jack chuckled.

"Careful, you're gonna catch flies in that trap." Jack's voice was a husky scrape along the back of his throat. Mac grinned, strode forward and gave Jack an awkward hug. Jack closed his eyes taking in Mac's presence. He knew Mac wasn't mad at him. Mac stumbled a step as he straightened. A grunt that could have been from annoyance or pain escaped as the younger man caught himself on the bed rail. Jack held onto Mac's right shoulder and left side to help study him. Mac slowly straightened. He moved like a frail 80 year-old dying man.

"Mac?" Mac turned away as he fell into a moist coughing fit. The blonde plopped into the chair and leaned his head back.

"I'm fine." Mac's voice rasped as much as Jack's. Mac laughed and met Jack's disbelieving gaze, "I totally get what Laffy Taffy feels like." Jack managed a half-hearted smile remembering Mac's screams and the sinister whine of the winches of the rack he'd been strapped to. Mac tilted his head and studied Jack's face. Jack could see stains of bruises and swollen cuts pepper both sides of the kid's face. What worried him the most was the deadness in his brother's bottomless eyes.

Mac smiled sadly and winced as he raised a foot and slipped it into the hole in the rail. He rested an elbow on his raised knee and cupped his chin in his palm.

"Seriously, big guy, are you ok?" He said softly.

"Are you?" Mac dropped his arm and leaned back. He tilted the chair and rocked it on it's back legs.

"I'm not the one who had all his internal organs mashed and ribs broken." Mac said.

"No, you're the one with the dislocated arm, broken collar bone and…" Mac jumped up, his chair thumping down on the tile. He crossed to the foot of the bed putting distance between him and Jack. Mac began to pace. His face was still a granite mask but his right hand pumped into a white-knuckled fist with each step. Mac absently banged it against his leg as if he held a knife and couldn't stab himself deep enough.

"I was going to say, bad ears." Jack finished. He decided to play the long game. Mac paused and half-turned giving Jack an apologetic half watt smile.

"They said you will have that tube out later today then you can go home." Mac's tone was light, too light.

"Mac…"

"It's fine, Jack. You're going to stay with Bozer and me, no arguing?" Jack sighed as if he was upset. In actuality, he was happy at the arrangement. He needed to stay close to his boy. Jack knew the meltdown was coming. He wondered if Mac wasn't having him over because he knew it too.

"Well I don't know, bud, your old TV sucks." Mac raised an eyebrow and his mouth quirked into a wry grin.

"You're the one who bought it."

"Four years ago! And that's only because you didn't have one."

"Not everybody needs to rot their brains in front of a TV."

"You would have no culture if it wasn't for Bozer and me." Mac chuckled and sat back down.

"I wouldn't have to put up with endless Star Wars quotes." Mac said with false grumpiness.

"Ok, first you would you just wouldn't get them, and second you loved those movies." Jack yawned and wiped his face. Mac leaned forward resting his good elbow on his thighs. He stared at his fingers who kept moving along the denim of his pants hungry for something to fiddle with. Jack figured it was hard to make paper clip sculptures one-handed.

"I don't blame you, you know." Mac said softly. Jack gulped. He reached out a hand. Mac stared at it a long minute before putting his on top of it. Jack knew he was doing it more for Jack than for himself. Jack felt sad. Mac just wouldn't let himself be comforted.

"I 'preciate that, bud." Jack husked. He fought a yawn. He wanted to sleep for a year, but Mac was more important, "I had no choice. We...the whole world…" Mac pulled his hand away knowing what Jack truly meant. He stood up and crossed to the window. Jack moved to pull the blankets away he was going to comfort his boy whether the kid wanted it or not.

The door suddenly filled with boisterous chaos as Bozer, Riley, Cage and Matty blew into the room. They laughed and ran to the bed happy to see Jack awake. Jack grinned just as happy. He glanced over his heart sinking. Mac had slipped out silently behind the others.

Mac leaned against the wall listening as the others laughed. He rubbed his face. His headache was worse. His ears felt like someone had shoved a spear through one side of his head to the other. Mac broke off mentally counting his aches and pains. Man up. He told himself. His pain didn't matter. Hanika...Mac swallowed. _Maac! Ahhh!_ Mac straightened and turned to stride down the hall. He wasn't running, not really. A hand on his shoulder jolted him out of his reverie. The sirens buzzing in his ears stopped him from hearing anyone sneak up on him and to be honest it was starting to piss him off. His ire increased when he saw who it was.

"What the hell do you want?" Mac growled. He was in no mood to be social or kind. Sally wasn't bothered by his surliness which pissed him off more.

"Izzy wants to put in more ear drops before you go." Mac glared at the red head silently beheading Phoenix's head nurse. He didn't hate her, not really.

"I'm busy, go away." Mac turned pushing past her. He walked faster knowing he would outpace her easily. He ignored the pain jangling in every joint and muscle and the dizziness which made the tile wobble like water in a storm. He glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to see Sally hadn't followed him, but had turned into Jack's room.

Mac slowed and let out a long sigh of relief. The ear drops felt like acid. They were necessary to prevent infection, they'd take down the swelling so he could hear better, blah, blah, blah. He wished they'd just let him go home with a bottle. Although, he conceded, he probably wouldn't take them. He hated ear drops. Mac growled. Honestly, right not he hated his ears...hell, everything. Mac genuinely hated everything at that moment.

Mac let out a startled gasp when he looked up and almost walked into Doc Carl. The young doctor looked up from a chart just as surprised.

"Hey, Mac." Mac could barely hear him over the chainsaw buzzing playing in stereo across his head, but he knew the doc would be ridiculously cheerful. Mac wanted to punch him. He managed to growl a hello before stepping around him. Doc Carl reached out and captured Mac's good arm. Mac stopped but didn't turn.

"What?" He snarled.

"Grams was looking for you." Mac ground his teeth together. He liked Doc Carl and his grandmother, Izzy, the newest addition to Phoenix medical, but he wasn't in the mood.

"Tell her I said, hi." Mac said around a throat full of frustration. He tugged free of Doc Carl's grip and stormed the rest of the way down the hall. He thought he heard yelling behind him through the grinding of his ears, but didn't care. He ignored the elevator and jogged up the stairs. Mac ignored the squeezing pain in his chest and the fatigue in his muscles. Being waterboarded and stretched on the rack sucked, but he'd had worse.

Mac's chest heaved as he sucked in air. He ran all the way to his jeep. He knew the others would kill him if they knew he was driving, but he didn't care he had to get away, to be alone...to forget...Mac swallowed the sob that threatened to vomit from his chest. He ignored the blurry world as he whipped through the parking lot. He didn't notice how wet his face was as he stomped on the gas and whirled into traffic.

Mac took the back roads. He decided he didn't want to go home. He drove blindly, losing himself in the random turns and twists that were the back streets of LA. Mac came to himself when his car slammed into a tree. The bag exploded in his face. He screamed in pain as his shoulder snapped forward then back with a crack. The bag deflated. Mac moved with it curling over. He felt his chest heave in pain and airlessness. He closed his eyes and shook. It took him a long time to realize that the painful crash had shaken out his tears. From physical and emotional, Mac found himself sobbing and choking with his face buried in the hard plastic of the steering wheel.

A hand on his shoulder jolted him awake. He groaned turning his head. He hadn't realized he'd passed out. He blinked surprised to see it was night. He frowned trying to remember when he'd been at Jack's bedside. He had no idea. The hand reached out and brushed hair out of his face.

"MacGyver? Can you hear me?" Mac squinted through the haze in his brain. He closed his eyes.

"Go away. Why won't you all go away?" Izzy laughed and gently reached out. Mac hissed as the old woman's hands roamed over his body finding every hurting knook and agonizing cranny. He pushed himself back in his seat and felt how wet his face was. He rubbed his cheek with his good hand and found it to be blood not tears. Mac let out a breath relieved. He hated crying and he really hated crying in front of someone. Especially someone other than Jack. Mac grimaced taking in the hood of his jeep curled around a solid oak. He pushed himself to sitting. Steam flooded from the engine and he could smell gas and oil. His insurance was going to skyrocket.

He'd crashed on a deserted dead end. He frowned. Where the hell was he? There were no houses or buildings only the thick scraggles of scrub and trees. He realized that the cement blockade in front of him was lit by headlights. His weren't lit. Mac turned his head and blinked at Izzy who studied him as she talked into a cell phone. Behind her a giant truck growled unmoving. It was surreal. Mac closed his eyes and rested his head on the steering wheel. He couldn't hear what the old woman was saying into the phone, but could guess who she was speaking to. Mac winced as pain wracked his left shoulder as it slumped. Back to the hospital, back to his worried friends who would pester him with questions he had no answers to and worst, the pity in their eyes.

"Angus?" Izzy was again at his elbow. Mac didn't move his head, he wasn't sure if he could.

"How did you find me?" His tiredness came out as irritation.

"I didn't, you found me." Mac slowly turned and frowned at her. She shook her head and slid her phone in her pocket, "We all searched for you for hours. I came home to get a bite to eat."

"Home?" Izzy pointed in the general direction of the cement barrier.  
"You live in the woods."

"Yes, in a way. Come with me, Angus. We'll get you sorted." Mac blinked at her.

"You aren't taking me to Phoenix?"

"Your body is no more hurt than it was when you started out."

"It feels like it is." Mac grumbled forcing himself to move. Izzy laughed like an indulgent grandmother.

"That's what happens when you viciously attack a tree. They are very brave and do not step aside when they see you." Mac blinked at her.

"What?" The old woman didn't say anything. Her hands were warm and calloused and she had a surprising solid strength. Izzy almost carried Mac to her truck and pushed him up into the cab. The world tilted and swirled. Mac closed his eyes and leaned against the door. He cringed at the roar as Izzy started the throaty engine. Mac sat up straight as they turned into a hidden drive. Mac cried out as they bounced over haddocks and through holes. It wasn't a hidden drive, it was a fucking deer trail.

"Why did you attack my tree, Angus?" Izzy said calmly. Mac glared at her bracing himself against the dash. His teeth were almost jolted out of his mouth as they bounced down the barely there track.

"I did not attack your tree!" Mac gritted. Izzy turned and studied him a long minute. No matter what obstacle pummelled the truck the old woman seemed to ride it gracefully. Mac closed his eyes. The woods around them were so thick his heart lurched with panic.

"Watch the road!" He howled.

"Your spirit is very perturbed." Izzy said sadly. Mac glared at her. She sat easily in the driver's seat barely able to see over the steering wheel.

"No shit!" He yelled. She frowned at him. Mac turned away guilty. He hated how he became a child in trouble told to stand in the corner of the classroom at her slightest glare.

"I think there is a reason you were led here." She said with a sigh. Mac almost bit off his tongue as they bounced over a boulder.

"I wasn't led here. It's just coincidence." Mac said loudly as air whumped out of him.

"There is no such thing. Here we are." Mac let out a relieved breath as the track became smooth and straight. Mac raised his eyebrow in surprise. A short driveway led to the side of a house unlike any he'd ever seen before. It was built into the side of a bulwark and was made out of tires, bottles and cans. Mac marvelled at the long line of solar panels that reflected in the bright headlights. Weirder still, there was no lawn. There was a dirt path leading to a door made of old railroad ties. Trees and bushes came up to the building separated only by a narrow dirt path.

"Wow." Mac whispered awe in his voice. Izzy smiled and turned off the truck. The buzzing in his ears sounded like cicadas singing in summer heat. Izzy crossed to his side and caught him as he flopped out of the truck.

"Is he ok?" A familiar voice said from the darkness.

"Jack?" Mac asked surprised. He felt the older man come to his side and pull Mac's arm across his broad shoulders. Mac tried to pull away when he heard Jack hiss in pain. Izzy's hands around his waist on the other side kept him upright.

"You freaked everybody out, kiddo." Jack said. Mac closed his eyes partly out of guilt partly from the nausea burning through his gut. He dimly heard Izzy say something. He heard 'attack' and 'tree' and huffed in frustration.

"I did not attack your tree." He slurred. He felt his knees wobble and groaned as his bones melted. He was dimly aware of being cradled by his partner's arms. He could feel Jack's chest rumble as he spoke. The volume and speed of the vibrations told Mac the older man was in pain and on the verge of panic. Mac tilted his head further into Jack's chest hoping that would comfort his partner. It was all he had to give.

Jack hissed in pain as he staggered after Izzy. Izzy navigated the darkness like a damned chupacabra. Jack stumbled and winced as his fingers dug into Mac's flesh. Izzy's heavy wooden door opened with a loud shriek.

"I gotcha, buddy." Jack winced as he was suddenly enveloped in bright lights. He squinted up at a flood light over the door. The door led into a short greenhouse. Almost every square inch was covered with something green. Jack felt the heat of the sun against his bare arms. The flood light was a grow light.

Jack turned sideways and stepped up two stone steps then into the house. He blinked until his eyes adjusted to dimmer light. There was no furniture in the usual sense of the word, only thick cushions spread across the room. The walls glinted like gems the bottoms of glass bottles reflected the lights of the fire.

"Nice fire." Izzy said admiration in her voice. Jack grinned stupidly. The woman had a gift for making him a proud 10 years-old who'd just done something good. Jack fell to his knees on a round cushion and hissed in pain as he carefully laid Mac out on a long fluffy cushion. Jack fell back onto a pile of round cushions closing his eyes. He was exhausted and hurt all over. He let out a contented sigh and studied Mac's still form. Jack reached out and moved a thick strand of hair from the kid's face. He winced at the stickiness attacked to his fingers.

"Ok, let's get you settled first." Izzy said crouching at Jack's side. Jack opened his mouth to protest but snapped it shut at one dark-eyed glare of the old woman. Damn if he didn't nod and follow her meekly to a longer cushion on the other side of the room. He watched the flames flicker over Mac's flaccid face as Izzy ran her fingers across his body. Her touch was light and warm. Jack felt his eyes sag. No matter what his brain told them, the stubborn things closed as he relaxed into sleep.


	12. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

"Jack?" Jack snorted in a breath. He worked his mouth until it was moist again. "Jack, I got bacon." Jack cracked open one eye and panned up until he saw his partner sitting cross legged beside him.

"Hrmm?" Jack mumbled. Mac smiled. Jack felt something warm brush his nose. His eyes opened wide. He opened his mouth and chomped down on the piece of bacon. Mac jerked his hand back with exaggerated fear.

"Jeez! Eat the bacon, not my hand!" Jack laughed as he lifted the bacon and chewed on it. He pushed up. Mac leaned forward and helped him sit up.

"Whoa!" Jack said the world spinning. Mac leaned him against his chest as he worked something behind Jack's back. Mac slid out and eased Jack back against a pile of cushions. Jack sighed. This was heaven! Bacon in bed. He closed his eyes and grinned tasting the crunchy meat.

"I think I've died and gone to heaven." He gushed as he opened his eyes and grinned at Mac. Mac had been watching him and turned away, avoiding the older man's eyes. Jack frowned. Mac turned back holding a tray with his good arm. He slid it onto Jack's lap. Jack stared at the heaping plate in front of him sure his chin was dripping with drool.

"You didn't cook this, did you?" Jack said pausing before digging in to the mountain of fluffy eggs and hashbrowns. Mac looked at him surprised.

"Eggs aren't hard." Mac said defensively. Jack eyed him.

"Izzy cooked didn't she." Mac laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, she did." Jack turned his attention to the plate and attacked it. Mac sat beside him silently. Jack leaned back after wiping his mouth with a clean cloth napkin.

"Put a fork in me and call me done! Damn that was a fine breakfast."

"I'm surprised you could taste it." Mac murmured as he pulled the tray closer. Jack turned and looked at his partner. Mac grunted and wobbled to his feet balancing the tray in one hand. He stumbled a couple steps before getting the tray in a good grip. Jack sat up ready to catch the dishes should they shower down on him. Mac grinned at him.

"Nervous, buddy? I got this." Jack opened his mouth to complain but Mac spun and disappeared down the hall. Jack leaned back and rubbed his face with his hands. He yawned. He felt stiff and sore but not near as bad as he thought he would. Jack itched his arm and froze. He rolled up his short sleeve and shot up.

"MAC!" Mac came skidding into the room his eyes wild.

"What? What's wrong?" Jack gaped at him in horror. Wordlessly he jabbed a finger at the small reddened area on his bicep. Mac breathed out in relief, "Izzy gave you some pain medicine before she left."

Jack ignored the amusement in his partner's voice. Jack rubbed his arm as he curled it closer to his body to protect it. Mac shook his head and returned down the hall, presumably to the kitchen. Jack sat back and took deep breaths. He supposed he should be grateful. He was out for the shot and he didn't have pain, but it just wasn't right.

Jack heard the sound of water spray and raised his eyebrows. Mac was doing dishes? Jack chuckled. If Izzy had told him to, he would have too. Jack sat up holding his hand over his abdomen. His shoulder hurt like hell. Jack doubted it was from the bullet that grazed his deltoid, it had to be the shot. Jack grumbled and cussed as he pushed himself to his feet. After the world stopped swaying he followed the water to Mac.

Mac stood in the center of a circular room. Jack gulped, for a second it reminded him of the bromine donut. Mac looked up at Jack's hitched breathing. He looked at Jack worried.

"You ok, big guy?" Jack nodded. Mac turned back to a sink that was made from a welded barrel. Mac pumped a lever beside the sink then reached out and hosed down dishes sitting on a built in dish rack made out of cracked CDs.  
"Are you sure you aren't related to Izzy?" Jack joked. Mac grinned at him.

"Watch this." He flipped a switch on the side of the barrel. There was a high pitched whine, strong puff of air, then a sucking noise. The water drained in a fast spiral. Mac turned off the switch. After a second the motor ground to a stop.

"The dishes are dried by the same air used as a vacuum to pull the water down the drain. After that it's recycled and used either to water the green house or in the bathroom. Izzy says 99.5% of all the water in this house is recycled." Jack whistled.

"Damn, she is your spiritual grandmother." Mac laughed.

"You should see her workshop." Mac's gaze seemed to look through the painted rubber walls. His face dropped to a familiar sadness. He carefully folded the wash rag and hung it from the edge of the sink. He leaned on the barrel and stared at his feet. Jack waited knowing the kid was working up to something. Mac visibly braced himself then looked at Jack. Jack squirmed at the seriousness in the younger man's moon colored eyes.

"Jack, I'm sorry." Mac said. He absently kicked at the floor. Jack blinked realizing for the first time real grass grew on the floor. The lawn was the kitchen floor? He shook his head and focused on Mac. Mac studied him with fear and uncertainty roiling in his eyes.

"What for?" Jack asked. Mac ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't know, making the sluice, getting you kidnapped...being an asshole when you were trying to save my life, acting like a child and running away... Take your pick." Mac stared at his feet and crossed his arms. He wouldn't meet Jack's eyes.

"Are you serious?" Jack asked. Mac's jaw clenched and he straightened his good fist folding tight.

"Absolutely. I was so focused on this girl…" Mac's voice hitched and he walked away from Jack hunched forward as if he were in a storm. Jack felt his heart ache in sympathy.

"Mac, c'mon you really liked her…"

"JACK, don't!" Mac snarled over his shoulder. He turned to face Jack. Jack blinked at him surprised, "don't make excuses for me. I only knew her for five dates...I've known you a lot longer and don't know what I would have done if…" Mac shook his head and turned to leave the room.

"Mac, c'mon now." Mac ignored him. Jack trailed behind the blond who returned to the living room and began to gather the cushions piling them into a neat stack. Jack could see the pain bending and moving caused Mac, but the kid ignored it. He was punishing himself. Jack walked to his side and stepped in Mac's way. Mac growled and turned to step around his partner.

"Oh for Pete's sake!" Jack huffed. He shoved Mac in the chest. Mac looked at him surprised and a little hurt as he tipped and fell into the pile of cushions. Mac looked up at Jack holding his left arm. Jack stepped around Mac's legs which dangled in an ungainly sprawl.

He sat beside Mac allowing himself to slide to the floor. Both men sat breathing for a long minute trying to get on top of their pain.

"Mac, I'm sorry too." Jack said slowly turning until he faced Mac. Mac laid flat on his back staring up at the sunlight that lit up the solid frame of bottles over their heads. Mac pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why?" Mac whispered.

"I'm sorry I left her behind. If I had…"

"We'd all be dead. You did the right thing, big guy."

"I wish she didn't die." Jack offered. He looked away. It sounded so lame.

"Yeah, me too." They were quite a long time.

"I don't think I can stand up." Jack groaned leaning back. The big breakfast had settled in his gut like cement.

"I don't think I want to." Mac mumbled. They were quiet again.

"How long before Izzy comes home?"

"She said she'd check on us around noon."

"Noon, huh."

"Yeah." They were quiet again.

"What time is it now?"

"I think around nine. Why?"

"I'm thinking we should both get up and help around the house."

"Yeah." Neither man moved.

"Mac?"

"Yeah?"

"Screw it, I'm not moving.." Mac winced as he laughed. He held out his hand and Jack bumped it.

"Right there with ya, big guy." He mumbled. Both men wormed deeper into the cushions sighing as they fell asleep.

"Hey Mac?"

"Hrmm?"

"Love ya, kiddo." There was a long pause. Jack thought Mac was asleep.

"You too, big guy." Mac whispered. Jack smiled as he closed his eyes and drifted off.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

And with that let us all share a brief moment of AWWWWW! As always thank you for reading and especially for leaving comments, like all of the other writers in the world I live for them! I have another story planned but I am not sure if I will get it done before surgery (in two weeks), but I will be hard at work the minute I get home! By then maybe we'll know what the hell Matty is up to on the show. I have a theory and I did some googling to translate the files Mac's dad gave him, but who knows until we see it, right? I just hope I'm back home by then! :) Anyway, you guys are the best! Until next time, Pox.


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